Bar organized cruel bets on the number of shots in New York and Chicago
The Cliffton, a bar in Patchogue (Long Island, NY), is being investigated for posting on Instagram bets on the number of shootings in Chicago and NYC, ahead of the upcoming long weekend of “Labor Day”.
The business shared photos of a paper grid hung with customers placing bets on the number of shootings in the two cities, which have seen a spike in gun violence this summer, it reported. Newsday. The winner would take an unspecified cash prize.
The bet “is not only disgusting, but also seems illegal under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.” that prohibits gambling in such establishments, the State Liquor Authority said in a statement.
The bet caption read: “Let the shooting begin!” the newspaper reported. The Cliffton bar’s Instagram page is private, but some photos began to circulate on other social networks, amid strong criticism.
“These reports are disgusting and those responsible for this gambling group should be ashamed,” Rich Azzopardi told the newspaper, spokesman for Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The Long Island bar also refused to allow State Liquor Authority representatives to conduct an inspection this week, the newspaper reported, which the agency said would itself be grounds for revoke your liquor license. Brian Neal, owner of The Cliffton, did not respond to a request for comment.
As a @MomsDemand volunteer and gun violence survivor with the @Everytown Survivor Network I am positively disgusted by The Clifton Bar on Long Island treating gun violence as a joke. This is life and death, not a betting pool. Shame on them. pic.twitter.com/oCjwH2IlDL
— lisa hendricks 🗳 (@MsLisaHendricks) August 29, 2020
This isn’t the first time that The Cliffton has used social media to share revolting and offensive content. Apparently they didn’t learn their lesson. Last year they had to apologize after sharing a transphobic and disgusting Instagram post. https://t.co/Z7JytNhAGr
— lisa hendricks 🗳 (@MsLisaHendricks) August 29, 2020
