New US Online Gambling Study

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With the tussle between the pro online gambling lobby and the anti online gambling lobby in the United States moving into overdrive there will be regular surveys to ascertain the mood of the people. The results of a survey conducted by the Lottery and Gaming Group at the reputed research organization Ipsos have just been made public.

One of the salient findings is the current and projected online gambling behavior of American citizens. 9% of Americans admitted to gambling online during the last 12 months. According to the survey if online gambling was to be legalized and regulated by some form of government then 13% of American citizens admitted that they would engage in this activity during the next 12 months. In addition if the regulated online gambling services were offered by their favorite land casino then the proportion would increase to 15%.

The Ipsos survey also examined another issue that is currently vexing the online gambling industry and the law makers in the United States. This is the question of whether online gambling should be regulated by the federal government or by the state governments. The same issue was examined in the survey conducted last year by Ispos. Then 55% of respondents were in favor of regulation by the US federal government. The current study shows a reversal of roles in American public opinion. Now, 55% of the respondents prefer regulation by the states. Paul Lauzon, senior vice president and Managing Director of the Lottery and Gaming Group gives two reasons for this change in thinking. Many states have already taken the initiative in this matter and this could be starting to sway public opinion on who should regulate online gambling. With the Republicans in control of the House and their stand against online gambling being clear the citizens feel that the federal government will be incapable of moving ahead on the legalization of online gambling.

The survey also touched upon the perception of legality of online gambling in the United States. 41% of the respondents felt that it was currently illegal. This perception is based on the actions taken by the Department of Justice against payment processors and more recently against leading online poker rooms. The correct situation is that though it is illegal for payment processors to process online gambling transactions, there is no law that imposes a blanket ban on online gambling across the United States.

The Ipsos study was conducted online between April 29 and May 1, 2011. The sample consisted of 1006 adult Americans. The report indicated that the survey has an estimated margin of error of +/-3%, 19 times out of 20.

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