UMass poll: Majority of Bay State residents approve of a casino

NORTH DARTMOUTH – The Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts–Dartmouth last week released the results of a poll and “behavioral survey” showing that 57 percent of Bay State residents would support building a resort casino.
Only 30 percent of the 1,041 people surveyed between Sept. 29 and Nov.
2 said they would oppose a casino, while 14 percent were undecided.
Men favored a casino by a 63-to-26-percent margin, whereas women only favored it by a 51-to-34-percent margin.
Asked about possible concerns, 48 percent said a casino could increase gambling addiction in the state, and 44 percent said it could increase political corruption. But 76 percent also said a casino would create new revenue and 69 percent believed it would create new jobs.
“Massachusetts residents are well-educated on the subject of casino gambling,” said Clyde W. Barrow, director of the CFPA. “They understand the amount of money that Bay Staters are gambling out of state; they grasp the potential fiscal and economic benefits; and they understand that there are potential social costs involved.”
Detailed survey results, as well as related poll data released last week and coming this week, can be found at www.umassd.edu/cfpa.