Thirty-nine percent of New York state residents say online sports gambling is bad for New York, while 22% say it is good for the state and 31% are in the middle, according to a Siena Poll released Wednesday.
One in four New Yorkers said they placed a bet of any size on a sporting event in the last year. Among bettors, 84% used online sportsbooks, 54% bet with friends or family, 41% bet with casinos and 24% bet with bookies.
Residents were closely divided on whether online sportsbooks should be allowed to advertise during televised sporting events, with 44% in favor and 43% opposed. Fifty-two percent said commentators discussing potential bets and odds during live games is bad for sports.
Views varied by age. Half of residents 50 and older said online sportsbooks should not be allowed to advertise during televised sporting events, compared with 36% of those under 50. Sixty-two percent of those 50 and older said live betting commentary is bad for sports, while 44% of residents under 50 said the same.
Among residents under 50, 27% said online sports gambling is good for New York, 33% said it is bad and 34% were in the middle. Among those 50 and older, 46% said it is bad for the state, 29% were in the middle and 16% said it is good.
“We are seeing a generational gap in those who participate in and support sports betting,” Associate Director of Data Management Travis Brodbeck said. “Not only are many young New Yorkers placing bets of their own, but they also view the issues surrounding sports betting through a different lens than older residents.”
Bettors and nonbettors also differed. Fifty-nine percent of sports bettors disagreed with restricting online sportsbook advertisements during televised games, while 45% of nonbettors agreed with restrictions. Forty-nine percent of bettors said commentary on live odds and bets during games is good for sports, while 57% of nonbettors said it is bad.
Forty-nine percent of sports bettors said online sports gambling is good for New York, compared with 14% of nonbettors. Forty-five percent of nonbettors said online sports betting is bad for the state.
Participation was higher among men than women, 37% to 14%. Fifty-three percent of men ages 18 to 49 said they placed a bet on a sporting event in the last year. Among all New York sports bettors, 84% used online sportsbooks, including 92% of male bettors ages 18 to 49.
The poll was conducted July 1-8 among 814 New York state residents. It has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points, including design effects from weighting.
Provided by Siena Research Institute; edited
for style and length. Details at www.Siena.edu/SRI/