Wipeout for Surf, Automated Poker folds

by: Jason Springer

Wed Apr 01, 2009 at 02:15:00 PM EDT

More changes in Atlantic City. First, the Atlantic City Surf have seen their last wave:

After 10 years of poor attendance and a struggle for attention blocks away from the casinos, the minor league Atlantic City Surf has struck out.
The team, which played in the independent Can-Am League, is discontinuing operations, along with another Can-Am team, the Ottawa Voyageurs.
Miles Wolff, the league's commissioner, said today that a deal to sell the Surf last week fell through. Without strong ownership and the money to back it, Wolff says it made no sense to continue to operate the club.

The Surf were a low cost alternative for families that chose to attend and the stadium did provide jobs to the region, but it wasn't enough. The team never actually turned a profit. There is talk about the stadium still being an asset to Atlantic City with people using the venue for events, but the city would have to invest in the maintenance. And Casinos have decided to cut their losses with automated poker:

No dealer? No deal. That's the market's response to Atlantic City's grand experiment with automated poker games that cut out dealers and chips.
Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino has removed 14 automated poker tables after trying them out for a few months. The electronic games automatically shuffle and deal video-style cards that appear on a large display screen in the middle of the table. Each player has a smaller display screen equipped with touch controls to place bets, call or fold.
The hope was that they would attract a younger generation of gamblers. But the reality was disappointing

The casinos have already experienced many layoffs as they have seen revenues decline, so this will be welcome news to employees as the unions feared the machines would lead to job losses. Atlantic City has now seen their baseball team go under, experienced the difficulties with the horse racing industry and dealt with struggles from the casino's. Last week, lawsuits were filed to allow sports betting, but those are long shots. And it's again important to note how many state programs are tied to the success of Atlantic City and the gaming industry as a whole. The economic landscape of Atlantic City continues to change and it's unclear what the picture will look like when the dust settles.

Jason Springer :: Wipeout for Surf, Automated Poker folds