Support for Supreme Court Ruling on Sports Betting

Fairleigh Dickinson University, May 18, 2018 – Half of all Americans are likely to be celebrating the recent Supreme Court decision to allow legalized sports betting in states beyond Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll of adults nationwide, conducted before the Supreme Court rendered its decision, found fifty percent who say they favor legalization everywhere, as compared with a little more than a third (37%) who are opposed. The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll has been asking Americans similar questions about sports betting since 2010, and opinions remain fixed.

Among those who said they oppose the expansion of legalized sports betting, the biggest concern people have centers around the ravages of gambling. Sixty-six percent are likely to oppose the Supreme Court’s recent decision because of fears that more will fall prey to the lure of a gambling addiction. Worries also extend to the spread of organized crime (43%) and games becoming less fair (39%).

Conversely, among those who favor the nationwide expansion, the two biggest reasons for supporting the ability for other states to join the party are the additional tax revenue for states (52%) and the simple fact that people are already betting illegally through office pools and the like (57%).

“Americans take a moral or practical approach to sports betting. Those who oppose it are worried about its effects on society. Others want to benefit from the money that is already flowing through illegal wagering,” said Krista Jenkins, director of the poll and a professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Legalized betting on professional sports will yield additional revenue for struggling states through taxes. The public seems keenly aware of this and, when asked if the states should share some of the tax revenue with professional sports teams, a clear majority say no. By an almost two-to-one ratio, most Americans reject the idea of revenue sharing (62% versus 32%).

“Sports betting is about two things. It is about legalizing what millions of Americans already do every day. It is about intensifying the engagement of a nation of sports fans,” said Jenkins.

The case originated from a legal challenge to the federal government by New Jersey. The voters of that state passed a constitutional amendment in favor of legalizing sports betting, and the legislature followed suit by repealing the state law that banned sports betting.

Methodology – The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll was conducted by landline and cellular telephone April 25 – May 1, 2018 using a random sample of adults nationwide aged 18 and older (N = 1001). Results have a margin of sampling error of +/- 3.9 percentage points, including the design effect.

Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers.

Interviews are conducted by Opinion America of Cedar Knolls, NJ, with professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection >is achieved by computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a landline phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected.

The total combined sample is mathematically weighted to match known demographics of age, sex, and race. 432 interviews were conducted on landlines and 569 were conducted on cellular telephones.

The sample was purchased from Marketing Systems Group and the research was funded by Fairleigh Dickinson University.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll received an “A” rating from statistician Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight blog. The ratings measure both accuracy and bias for all major polling services in the United States, providing an update to similar research the poll watchers conducted in 2014. The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll’s “A” rating puts it in the top 14 of the more than 380 polling institutes reviewed and graded from A+ through F. The Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll was found to have a 94 percent accuracy rate for predicting election results, and is one of only two A-rated polling institutes with zero bias to their rankings.

Tables

Exact question wording and order

N1 through N12 withheld for forthcoming release

MC1 thorugh MC2 withheld for forthcoming release

OP1 through OP10 withheld for forthcoming release

GAME1            Currently, betting on sports – like football and basketball games – is legal only in Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana. Do you favor or oppose [rotate] changing the law to allow people to place bets on sports in all states?

1          Support            [Ask GAME3]

2          Oppose            [Ask GAME2]

8          DK (vol)

9          Refused (vol)

GAME2            Which of the following reasons explains why you oppose making sports betting legal in all states? (Read list; Can choose multiple responses)

1          Promotes gambling addiction

2          Opens the door for organized crime

3          Changes the expectation that the event or game is fair

4          Other (vol)

8          DK (vol)

9          Refused (vol)

GAME3            Which of the following reasons explains why you support making sports betting legal in all states? (Read list; Can choose multiple responses)

1          More tax revenue for the states

2          People are already betting illegally

3          Will make sports more exciting

4          Other (vol)

8          DK (vol)

9          Refused (vol)

GAME4            If betting on professional sports was legal and taxed in your state, would you approve or disapprove [rotate] of the state sharing some of the tax revenue with the teams?

1          Approve

2          Disapprove

8          DK (vol)

9          Refused (vol)

Weighted Sample characteristics

Male                49%

Female             51%

Democrat (with leaners)            37%

Republican (with leaners)         36%

Independent                             22%

Other/DK/Refused                        5%

18-34               30%

35-54               33%

55+                  35%

Refused               2%

White                           64%

African-American        11%

Latino                          15%

Asian                           7%

Other/refused               3%