Some parents feel duped
As the jockeying for one of three New York Casino casino licenses heats up, gambling companies are doing whatever they can to make their bids look as attractive as possible. One of the tactics that has drawn sharp criticism from local residents is the sponsorship of youth sports.
The New York Times spoke with Megan and Rich Corrao, whose 12-year-old daughter was excited to attend a soccer training clinic on Long Island, with superstar guests David Beckham and Carli Lloyd. But when they arrived, they saw that it was sponsored by Las Vegas Sands.
“Don’t use our kids as pawns in your effort to dump something in our community that a lot of people really don’t want,” Mr. Corrao told The Times. “It’s not appreciated. It’s not right. They’re not selling bubble gum.”
It was a similar situation at Coney Island’s Kaiser Park at a free basketball clinic hosted by Brooklyn USA Basketball. Banners displaying “The Coney,” the name of a proposed casino, were all around the courts. Children were given shorts and jerseys adorned with the logo.
Anita Means made her 15-year-old grandson stop attending the sessions. Lakeisha Bowers, who is a member of a local community board that opposes the casino, allowed her 12-year-old son to keep playing because he loves basketball so much, but did not allow him to pose for pictures.
“They’re using our children to promote a casino,” Bowers said. “If all the kids’ parents are aware of that and they’re still OK with it, then it’s fine by me. But let’s not make it a secret.”
Bowers added that it is tough to turn down free uniforms, backpacks, and water bottles, especially where there are limited activities during the summer.
Companies see it as helping the community
The casino companies say there is nothing nefarious about the sponsorships of youth sports.
“We’ll continue to invest in youth organizations because they’re important parts of the communities in which we operate,” Ron Reese, a spokesperson for Las Vegas Sands, told The Times.
Robert Cornegy, Jr., a former New York City Council member, who played for St. John’s University’s 1984-1985 Final Four team and went on to play basketball professionally in Israel and Turkey, is serving as a consultant for The Coney project. He said that this is the sort of outreach communities have wanted.
“Everybody said, ‘We’re not listening to anybody about anything unless you’re willing to leverage whatever resources that you have to benefit our children,’” Cornegy said. “And any community is going to say the same thing.”
Not everyone in the communities where the casino companies want to build are opposed to these sorts of sponsorships. Many appreciate the investment in youth activities, as it provides an opportunity for their children that might not otherwise be there. To them, a casino sponsorship is just another sponsorship, no different than Chico’s Bail Bonds.
