After a battle that lasted more than a year, Atlantic City Council unanimously voted (9-0) on Wednesday to forbid smoking on the gambling floors at all the city’s 11 casinos.

The ban to go into effect on October 15 ends a major loophole in a statewide ban on smoking in public buildings.

However, patrons will still be able to smoke in special-made smoking lounges away from table games and slot machines.

Casino workers wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Nobody deserves to work in an ashtray,” were more than pleased with the vote thanking the Council.

“The employees of Atlantic City’s casinos have hit a jackpot of their own tonight. Hardworking casino employees have been keeping Atlantic City multibillion-dollar casino industry on a roll but have been gambling with their lives for too long,” said Dr. Arnold M. Baskies, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society in New Jersey and New York, according to the Associated Press.

The last time a similar law banning smoking in casinos was about to be voted by the Atlantic City Council was in January 2007. However, the law was abandoned, as the casino industry claimed the measure could cut revenue by 20 percent and mean the loss of as many as 3,400 jobs. The City Council then enacted a compromise law restricting smoking to no more than 25 percent of the casino floor.

The Casino Association of New Jersey, which represents the interests of the city's 11 casinos, declined to comment on the council's late-afternoon vote.

However, Donald J. Trump, whose name is emblazoned on three casinos here, said the full smoking ban would further cripple Atlantic City’s struggling casino industry against new neighboring competition.

“It’s too bad. It will put Atlantic City at a competitively negative advantage, and it’s unfortunate,” Trump said of the vote as quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The ordinance now goes before Atlantic City Mayor Scott Evans to sign. “We’re going to save lives with this. People are going to be able to come here and enjoy a nice smoke-free environment,” he said.