After 27 years, Showboat closes

Posted: Sunday, August 31, 2014, 1:22 PM

ATLANTIC CITY - At noon Sunday, gamblers weren't exactly flocking to squeeze in a few last chances at Showboat casino slot machines or craps tables.

'This is not busy for a Sunday morning,' said Brian Klinger, a Showboat games supervisor, as he was leaving the casino floor for the last time.

'I was surprised I got so emotional' saying goodbye to colleagues, said Klinger, 61, who has worked in Atlantic City casinos for 32 years, the last 10 at Showboat.

'A lot of these people I'll probably never see again, unless it's by chance,' said Klinger, who was offered a part-time position at another Caesars property, but turned it down because he wants to work full time in the casino-support industry.

Klinger said he expected the casino floor would get busier as it gets nearer to the 4 p.m. scheduled closing, but some longtime customers were already heading for the exit after checking out of the hotel.

Mirian Linaresdemacheg, for example, was off to Caesars to finish out her long weekend.

Linaresdemacheg said she's been spending every weekend for the last 20 to 25 years at Showboat.

'I'm very sad,' said the resident of Lodi, Bergen County.

Loyal customers like Linaresdemacheg helped Showboat win $8.5 billion from gamblers since it opened in March 1987 as Atlantic City's 12th casino.

When Showboat Inc. opened its casino, it was known as a company that specialized in appealing to low rollers. It promoted bowling as a family-friendly activity to go along with a casino floor that heavily emphasized slot machines.

Showboat was purchased by Harrah's Entertainment Inc. in 1998 and eventually became part of Caesar's Entertainment Inc. The bowling lanes closed in 2001 to make room for more restaurants.

Showboat distinguished itself in 1999 by building an 800-car parking garage for employees, the first in Atlantic City.

Now those employees are out the door, some like Jared Krum wearing a T-shirt that has an aerial view of Showboat on the back and says: 'Thanks for the Memories. 1987-2014'

Krum has only been at Showboat for a year. He has a job at Harrah's.

It's too soon in the day to say if there will be a mad rush for souvenirs in the final hours of operations, as there was when the Atlantic Club closed in January.

Klinger said there was a prelude to souvenir gathering Sunday morning when a gambler stole a puck - or timer - from a craps table.

'He was in a wheelchair and they couldn't catch him,' Klinger said. 'They were busy with the game.'

hbrubaker@phillynews.com

215-854-4651

@InqBrubaker