Travis Kelce (Image Via Getty)
The Kansas City Chiefs star, who became a Six Flags investor alongside activist investor Jana Partners in 2025 and later joined the company as a brand ambassador, is connected to a business now caught in a local controversy. In October 2025, he joined Jana Partners and business executives Glenn Murphy and Dave Habiger in an investment group that collectively held an economic interest of approximately 9% in Six Flags Entertainment. In March 2026, Six Flags announced a separate strategic partnership naming Kelce its brand ambassador. The proposed three-year camera lease cost $57,900. Nine Massachusetts communities spent nearly $500,000 in casino mitigation grants on license plate readers over three fiscal years. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Meanwhile, only 5% of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s $38.5 million in grants went towards programmes addressing problem gambling.
Its application stated, “Agawam is also the home of Six Flags New England and people drop children off for the day while they patron the casino”. However, the claim about parents visiting the casino was never supported by documented evidence, according to the report. City Councilor Christine Rickmon challenged the allegation, saying, “There’s no actual proof that people were dropping their children off at Six Flags and going to the casino,” Rickmon told WBUR. Police Chief Eric Gillis later told council members he was unaware that the original grant application had been amended. Ludlow Police Chief Michael Brennan defended the technology, saying the cameras “have shown to be an effective investigative tool.”..
Travis Kelce ‘s growing association with Six Flags has taken on an unexpected angle after a Massachusetts police department faced questions over an unusual claim involving parents visiting the amusement park. Agawam police used an allegation about parents leaving children at Six Flags New England to visit MGM Springfield casino while seeking funding for surveillance cameras. However, the claim has come under scrutiny. Travis Kelce’s relationship with Six Flags goes beyond promotional appearances. The group wanted to work with the company’s leadership to improve its business and guest experience. The NFL star was expected to support marketing campaigns and create digital content throughout the year. His involvement has brought additional attention to the amusement park company. However, a controversy surrounding its Massachusetts location has now raised questions about how local authorities justify spending public funds. Agawam police requested six Flock license plate cameras through a casino mitigation grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The department argued that some parents dropped their children at Six Flags New England before visiting MGM Springfield. The controversy grew after residents questioned the police department’s reasoning. “That claim is wild. Why didn’t anybody look into it? He suggested the statement may have come from officers encountering parents collecting their children from the amusement park, although their destinations had never been recorded. The issue extends beyond Agawam. Chelsea was the only community among the nine camera recipients to request funding for that purpose. The debate now centres on whether casino-related grants should fund widespread vehicle surveillance or focus more directly on gambling-related harm. For Six Flags, the controversy also places an unusual spotlight on a family amusement park that became part of a police department’s disputed funding argument. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.