57% of Americans in Favour of Gambling
Various polls have been taken in the USA to determine what percentage of Americans support gambling and online gambling. The latest such report released by The American Gaming Association (AGA) confirms that support for gambling has reached an all-time high.
Additionally, the AGA wants to make the case that casinos in the country should not be subject to extraordinarily high taxes, and should rather be treated like regular businesses. According to the poll, 57% of Americans support casino gambling, while an estimated 87% see no problem with gambling and view it as an acceptable pastime.
The poll goes further and provides information on how much a typical player wagers at casinos. According to the results, some 75% of players set a budget before they visit a casino. Some 50% of players limit themselves to just $200. The poll was conducted by telephone, and included 1,000 voters. It was concluded in May 2014 by a Republican and Democrat – Glen Bolger and Mark Mellman respectively. The margin of error was 3.1%.
Support for Online Gaming Continues to Grow
Gambling has been legal in the state of New Jersey for 38 years and the first casino in Atlantic City opened its doors in 1978. Interestingly enough, a poll was conducted in May 2014 by the Fairleigh Dickinson University and it revealed that 50% of Americans believe that marijuana should be legalized. By contrast, only 27% of Americans supported online gambling in the states that presently do not permit.
The states that presently allow online gambling include Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. When asked if they follow news about regulations pertaining to online gambling, 65% of those polled said that they did not. The poll included 1,151 adults over 18 years old and was conducted between 21 April and 27 April. The margin of error was 2.9%.
In April 2014, the Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind poll revealed that 46% of voters in New Jersey were against the state’s decision to permit online gambling. Only 41% of voters were in favour of it. However, support for online gambling continues to grow in the USA. In February 2011 only 26% supported online gambling, while in May 2013 that number crept up to 31%. While online casino gaming is legal in the state of New Jersey, online sports betting is not. Voters were overwhelmingly in favour of New Jersey deciding upon state sovereignty in respect of online gaming laws, and they oppose federal overreach.
