NYC Parents Worried Casino Bidders Use Kids as Pawns

Casino bidders for downstate New York are resorting to new tactics, in order to gain community support, which includes trying to win over children. This led to concerns among some New York City parents, who are worried that their children might be used as pawns by the conglomerates who wish to win one of the three full-scale gaming licenses.

Back in 2013, the state issued 10 commercial casino licenses, however, it put a 10-year moratorium on the three downstate ones. This way it intended to give upstate ones a chance to adjust to the gambling scenery. Now, the moratorium is over and the Gaming Facility Location Board is looking into bids from third-party companies interested in launching casinos in the area.

Parents Unhappy with Gambling Conglomerates

One of the interested companies in a license, Las Vegas Sands, wants to launch a US$4 billion casino resort at the Nassau Coliseum complex on Long Island. Recently, parents of youth soccer players in Nassau County revealed that their children were invited by the company for a training session with David Beckham and Carli Lloyd at the Mitchell Athletic Complex in Uniondale.

However, parents noted that they were only informed that the March meet-and-greet was being put on by Las Vegas Sands upon their arrival at the event. Rich and Megan Corrao were among the parents from Nassau County who took their children to the Beckham-Lloyd training event and were not delighted to learn that a casino was sponsoring the event.

Something similar happened in Coney Island, where a group of companies teamed up for a US$3 billion casino project, The Coney. A while back, the nonprofit organization Brooklyn USA Basketball gave new uniforms and T-shirts to youth basketball players, displaying the logo of the project. Parents said the companies used the children to promote the casino.

A spokesperson for Las Vegas Sands, Ron Reen responded that the company regularly tries to empower the communities where it operates. He said the operator will continue to invest in originations, due to their importance to communities. Meanwhile, a representative from Brooklyn USA Basketball noted due to the casino project was able to provide new uniforms for every child in the program, for the first time since 2011.

Operator Files for Zoning Order

Recently, Las Vegas Sands made another step towards a casino in Nassau County, as the gambling leader filed for a zoning application in the Town of Hempstead. The application revealed operator wants to build over 3.7 million square feet of development above ground, with another 3.9 million square feet for parking and garages, while the square footage for the casino itself is 396,726.

However, their bid for an integrated casino resort is not well-received by everyone. An organization names, Say No to the Casino Civic Association, has opposed the project. It argued it will lead to increased crime, traffic, and noise pollution, while also putting a strong on the local law enforcement and governments, said the organization which is not politically affiliated.