You used to pay for the right to scalp the public for 5 or 10 cents...but with the bid/offer on the screen typically being just a penny most of the time, and with 70%+ of the volume done on Globex, it is the pit that keys off the screen and the opportunity to scalp the public all day long has been diminished. You still need the pit for back months, spreads, strips, and options, so I don't think it will be gone as soon as some of the some pessimists predict.