(Information in the following story is from: The New Orleans Advocate, http://www.neworleansadvocate.com)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans City Council has denied an exemption to Harrah's Casino from a smoking ban in bars and gambling halls.

The new ban is to start April 22.

Lawyers for Harrah's New Orleans, a large land-based casino next to the French Quarter, have predicted a 20 percent decline in revenues from a ban.

The New Orleans Advocate reports the city council on Thursday refused a casino request to delay implementation of the ban to give the casino more time to prepare the building and customers for the change.

The casino had failed earlier to have itself carved out of the new law altogether.

The ban prohibits smoking cigarettes and electronic cigarettes inside casinos and bars, with the exception of already existing cigar and hookah bars.

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