Las Vegas Sands isn’t the only company to face difficulties in relation to its New York casino plans. Politicians representing the West Side of Manhattan have now also opposed Related Cos.’s plans to construct a Wynn-branded casino hotel in the High Line area.

The Property Would Add Gaming to the High Line

The planned property would cost approximately $12 billion to construct and is expected to receive the green light. Should Wynn secure one of the three downstate casino permits, the new property would have three towers, including one named after the operator company.

However, not everyone is on board as some believe that the new property would harm the community. Certain politicians, including Assemblyman Tony Simone, have voiced their opposition to the plan.

Simone is set to be a major challenge to the casino plans as he is set to be one of the six members of the board that will decide the fate of the three downstate casino licenses.  

In any case, Related hopes to reach a mutually agreeable compromise. Its leaders highlighted the fact that they have met with High Line representatives multiple times and have made many meaningful amendments, addressing a variety of concerns.

Why Do People Oppose the New Casino Hotel?

A nonprofit group called Protect the High Line seeks to challenge the plans for a Wynn-branded property, arguing that it would obstruct views and take up place that could be otherwise used for residential housing.

According to Protect the High Line, the charm of the area is in its park space and elevation which allows visitors to enjoy unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline. This argument was echoed by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick who agreed that more towers would negatively impact the area.

The Manhattan Community Board 4, on the other hand, was concerned about the property’s potential negative effect on housing in the area.

As mentioned, the Wynn property is not the only one to face opposition. Locals have also raised various concerns with other casino plans in the city. Some have suggested that new casino properties could cause a spike in gambling problems, while others have cited traffic and housing-related issues as their primary concerns.

In other news, politicians recently criticized the lack of a new tribal gaming compact.

The post Politicians and Charities Oppose Wynn’s NY Casino Plans appeared first on Keno Wizard.

About a week ago, Paddy Power released a new advert for Tottenham Hotspur. The ad is called The Spurs Fan Centre and makes fun of the team’s suboptimal performance and lack of notable achievements.

Miserable Time to Be a Spurs Fan

In its ad, Paddy Power showcases an employee walking the viewers around a fictional “Spurs Fan Center.” The center is almost entirely focused on Arsenal and their bad plays, the employee explained, as it would be “a pretty short experience” if the whole center was dedicated to Spurs’ achievements.

The only room that is dedicated to Tottenham Hotspur seems to be the restroom where photos of the team’s few achievements can be seen. In addition, the club has a dedicated VR room where Spurts fans can don a headset to hide their tears.

However, not everyone was amused.

The Advert Allegedly Mocked People with Autism

According to Level Playing Field, a charity that promotes inclusivity for disabled sports enthusiasts, claims that the ad indirectly makes fun of autistic people. The charity spoke with The Athletic on the matter and explained that the ad essentially refers to the fan center as a “Spurts Sensory Center.”  

This may refer to the sensory rooms each Premier League club has. These rooms are essentially where people with autism and other difficulties can enjoy matches. Level Playing Field felt that the ad makes fun of these people with special needs.

The charity noted that the decision to call the fictional club a “sensory center” might just have been poor wording but is seriously undermining the message of the advert regardless.

Level Playing Field’s sentiment was echoed by the National Autistic Society, which believes that Paddy Power’s Tottenham Hotspur ad is nothing more than a “cheap jibe.”

Sensory rooms are not a punchline — they’re an important way to support autistic people and their families to attend big sporting events, like football matches. Without that safe and calming space, they might find the noise and large crowds completely overwhelming.

Tim Nicholls, head of influencing and research, National Autistic Society

Nicholls noted that the efforts to make sports accessible to autistic people should not be made fun of. He added that the National Autistic Society wants a world where everyone can enjoy soccer.

As of the time of this writing, Paddy Power’s controversial The Spurs Fan Centre advert has been taken down from most platforms. However, it is still available on YouTube.

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