The American Gaming Association, a group comprised of some of the top casino firms in the United States, commissioned a poll that it said shows that around 87 percent of Americans “view casino gaming as an acceptable activity.”
That figure is the best ever for the industry, according to the AGA.
“There is no need to be defensive,” said Geoff Freeman, president of AGA. “The public has seen the value of having casinos and we need to promote the hell out of the industry.”
The news comes just weeks after the lobbying organization announced that it would ditch its public support for online gambling legalization in the United States. Individual AGA members like juggernauts Caesars and MGM, however, will continue pushing the issue.
“One of the things I’ve learned in this industry is we are extraordinarily competent at shooting at one another,” Freeman said about the Internet poker topic. Las Vegas Sands, an AGA member, is vehemently opposed to casino games on the Internet.
The nationwide poll was conducted by political pollsters Mark Mellman and Glen Bolger.
The AGA added in its press release that nationwide gross gaming revenues for commercial casinos increased one percent from $37.34 billion in 2012 to $37.78 billion in 2013. That figure doesn’t include tribal casinos, which also bring in billions each year.
The AGA’s poll comes as some of its members are involved in states—New York, Massachusetts and Maryland—that are allowing more casino gambling. In Massachusetts, for example, state officials warmed up to the idea and authorized three casinos and a slots parlor. However, voters in some communities opposed such facilities coming to their respective areas.
According to the survey, more than 70 percent of voters think that casinos create jobs and nearly 60 percent of voters believe that casinos boost local economies.
