Recent polls establish that Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of having the right to gamble online without governmental interference. Stated another way, the following polls all establish Americans overwhelmingly do not want the federal government enacting laws that restrict a recreational activity such as online gambling, an activity that many adult Americans have decided to do from their own homes. Almost 80 percent of Americans are opposed to the pending bills in Congress to ban online gambling.

The polls are:
• Zogby International (March 2006 - sponsored by the AOGA)
• Peter D. Hart Research Associates (2006: sponsored by the American Gaming Association)
• ICR (March 2006 – sponsored by Poker Players Alliance)

Zogby International (March 2006 - sponsored by the AOGA)

This poll was conducted by Zogby International, a leading public opinion company. Zogby International conducted interviews of 30,054 likely voters from March 1, 2006 through March 14, 2006. The margin of error on the poll is +/- 0.6 percentage points. The following is a summary of the poll:

Q: The United States Congress is currently considering legislation that would attempt to abolish online gambling. With the exception of something that is morally offensive to almost everyone, such as child pornography, do you think it is appropriate for the federal government to restrict what adults do on the Internet in the privacy of their own homes?

Excluding the things that are morally offensive to most people, more than three-fourths of likely voters (78%) do not think it is appropriate for the federal government to restrict what adults do on the Internet in the privacy of their own homes. In contrast, one in eight (13%) believes it is appropriate for the federal government to restrict what adults do on the Internet in the privacy of their own homes. Nine percent are not sure.

Q: More than 80 percent of Americans believe that gambling is a question of personal choice that should not be interfered with by the government. Do you agree or disagree that the federal government should stop adult Americans from gambling with licensed and regulated online sportsbooks and casinos based in other countries?

Seven in ten respondents (71%) disagree that the federal government should stop adult Americans from gambling with licensed and regulated online sportsbooks and casinos based in other countries. In comparison, one in six (16%) believes the United States government should prohibit this form of gambling. One in eight (13%) is not sure.

Q: Many gambling experts believe that Internet gambling will continue no matter what the government does to try to stop it. Do you agree or disagree that the federal government should allocate government resources and spend taxpayer money trying to stop adult Americans from gambling online?

Voters are seven times more likely to disagree (77%) than agree (11%) that the federal government should allocate government resources and spend taxpayer money trying to stop adult Americans from gambling online. One in eight (12%) is not sure.

In summary, a vast majority of Americans are opposed to banning online gambling. A scientific poll completed on March 14, 2006 establishes that almost 80 percent of likely voters are opposed to governmental efforts to ban online gambling. Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of preserving their freedom to engage in acceptable recreational and entertainment activities from the privacy of their own home. The will of American voters is absolutely and unmistakably clear in the area of how and when an adult American should be able to engage in private recreational activities from their own home, and Congress should respect this freedom of choice.

Sources: Zogby International – www.zogby.com

The 2006 Peter D. Hart Research Associates Poll
(Sponsored by the American Gaming Association)

According to a recent survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc., the profile of an Internet gambler is that of an under 40, college-educated male who makes more than $60,000 per year, plays poker and casino games in about equal numbers, and gambles on the Internet not because he expects to make money, but because it is entertaining and convenient.

According to the results, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of online gamblers surveyed were male, compared to a nearly even split between men (53 percent) and women (47 percent) who are bricks-and-mortar casino customers. Online gamblers also are quite young. The median age for online gamblers is 31, and nearly 70 percent are younger than 40. Online gamblers also are a relatively affluent group, with nearly one in five earning more than $100,000 a year.

The survey indicates online gamblers are extremely computer savvy, with the vast majority using the Internet to perform a number of regular day-to-day tasks. Online gamblers also are active in other forms of gaming. Seventy-three percent participated in a lottery and more than two-thirds (67 percent) visited a casino during the last 12 months.

The other outcomes contained in the 2006 AGA poll are:

Q: What are your personal views of casino gambling?

Q: Do you agree or disagree with the following: “Gambling is a question of personal choice. The government should not be telling Americans what they should or should not be doing with their own time and money.”

Forms of Gambling Participated in by Adult Americans During 2005:

Sources: Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc., and Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research

The 2006 ICR Poll (Sponsored by Poker Player’s Alliance) – see the Press Release
Poker Players’ Alliance sponsored a poll on online gambling that  was conducted on March 29, 2006 by ICR, an independent market research supplier located in Media, PA.  The results reflect a randomly selected group of 964 adults. Those selected were read a series of questions and asked to respond with "yes," "no," or "I don't know."

The Poker Players’ Alliance established that approximately two-thirds (74.2%) of adult Americans do not believe the federal government should prevent Americans from playing poker on the Internet.  Over ninety percent (94.7%) of adult Americans believe that the government should not restrict adults from playing poker in the privacy of their own homes.

The results of the survey are listed below.

Q: "Should the federal government prevent Americans from playing poker?"

Q: "Should the federal government prevent Americans from playing poker in Las Vegas?"

Q: "Should the federal government prevent Americans from playing poker in Casinos on Indian Reservations?"

Q: "Should the federal government prevent Americans from playing poker for charitable fundraisers?"

Q: "Should the federal government prevent Americans from playing poker on the Internet?"

Q: "Should the federal government prevent Americans from playing poker in the privacy of your own home?"

Q: "Do you believe the federal government should be managing Americans gambling behaviors on the Internet?"