Survey USA, a professional polling firm, was contracted by WRAL News to see how consumers in North Carolina feel about Las Vegas-style casino resorts. As it turns out, the people in the state, who just received online betting, are strongly supportive of the potential legalization of commercial casino resorts.

Survey USA polled 850 adults and learned that 55% of them support the creation of casinos in rural parts of North Carolina. For comparison, only 28% of the respondents remained strongly or somewhat opposed to casino gaming. The rest of the respondents remained neutral.

The survey also understood that adult men were slightly more likely to support casino gaming. Survey USA pointed out that 61% of the male respondents and 65% of the respondents aged 35-49 supported Vegas-style gaming.

Survey USA’s poll echoes the results of a recent survey by Meredith Poll from the private women’s liberal arts college in Raleigh, which found that 57% of voters support commercial casinos.

Not All Lawmakers Approve of Casino Gaming

Casino supporters in North Carolina have been trying to get casino gaming legalized for a while. While the local constitution does not prohibit gambling and therefore no constitutional changes are needed, casinos remain a point of contention.

For reference, North Carolina currently boasts three tribal casinos. The state recently launched online sports betting, expanding its gaming industry.

In 2023, Senator Phil Berger tried to get casino gaming launched, envisioning three commercial properties in Anson, Nash and Rockingham. His effort had attracted the interest of The Cordish Companies but ultimately failed.

Berger argues that casino resorts are more than mere gaming properties. He refers to them as entertainment districts, arguing that they go beyond gambling.

Republican lawmakers critiqued Berger’s effort, saying that gaming expansion should be considered separately and not as a part of the state’s budget plan.

In the meantime, supporters of Vegas-style gaming will have another shot at getting commercial casinos legalized as the 2024 legislative session looms. While many argue that casino resorts would provide a strong boost to rural economies, some influential lawmakers argue that the state should focus on other initiatives to develop the rural ecosystems instead.

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GambleAware, the leading commissioner of gambling harm prevention and treatment services in the UK, suggested that the broad public supports the controversial affordability checks. The measure, originally outlined in the Gambling Act white paper, seeks to introduce frictionless checks that would prevent at-risk players from overspending.

However, gambling industry campaigners have suggested that the checks would make gambling unsustainable for many players, potentially even hurting the horseracing sector. On the contrary, GambleAware suggested that the public actually supports the measure.

Citing recent polling, the charity suggested that three in five adults (57%) support enhanced financial risk checks. People impacted by a loved one’s gambling, on the other hand, were much more likely to support the measure, with data showing that 76% of affected others believe gambling companies should be held responsible for gambling problems.

In the meantime, 63% of respondents said that they believe that affordability checks would reduce the number of problem players.

For reference, the polling was conducted by Ipsos and saw the public opinion specialist survey 4,170 British adults.

GambleAwar Supports Frictionless Checks

GambleAware’s chief executive officer, Zoë Osmond, said that her team urges the government to not miss opportunities to introduce “robust preventive measures.” While GambleAware acknowledges that affordability checks should be frictionless and properly implemented, it also believes that they are a necessary measure.

By prioritizing preventative action and ensuring the industry take some responsibility for protecting individuals against unaffordable losses, we can mitigate the detrimental impact of problem gambling on individuals and society as a whole.

Zoë Osmond, CEO, GambleAware

Nicola Jaques, family support worker for the Beacon Counselling Trust in Preston, and an affected other of gambling harms, also commented on the matter, highlighting the devastating effects gambling harm could have on families. 

Safeguards like these financial risk checks are so important because they would help protect not only the person experiencing problems with gambling, but also those around them. Anyone can experience gambling harm and it affects far more than just one person.

Nicola Jaques, family support worker, Beacon Counselling Trust

GambleAware is the organization behind the United Kingdom’s National Gambling Support Network (NGSN). The charity recently reported that the helpline received over 52,000 calls in 2023 – a figure representing a year-on-year rise of 24%.

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The development of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) has received a significant endorsement from Professor Patrick Sturgis of the London School of Economics, marking a crucial step towards the production of reliable and comprehensive gambling statistics for the nation.

GSGB Receives Acclaim for Methodological Excellence and Innovative Approach

The independent assessment, released on February 19, lauded the GSGB’s methodological approach, describing it as “exemplary in all respects.” Professor Sturgis, while acknowledging the importance of the survey’s development, also offered several recommendations aimed at addressing key unresolved issues.

The GSGB represents a departure from previous methodologies, transitioning from quarterly telephone interviews to a ‘push-to-web’ survey focused solely on gambling activities. This shift, according to Sturgis, allows for a considerably larger sample size, with an anticipated 20,000 annual responses compared to the previous 4,000.

In his evaluation, Sturgis highlighted the success of the pilot study conducted by the UK Gambling Commission in January and February 2022, which yielded 1,078 responses. The survey’s response rate of 21% was deemed comparable to similar ‘push-to-web’ surveys conducted in the UK, indicating its feasibility and potential for accurate population estimates.

“The move to self-completion was the correct decision,” stated Sturgis, emphasizing the necessity of adapting survey methodologies to address declining response rates and the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He commended the UK Gambling Commission for consulting widely with stakeholders and adhering to industry standards in developing the GSGB.

UKGC Embraces Sturgis’s Recommendations for Improved Gambling Data

Despite endorsing the survey’s development, Sturgis outlined seven recommendations for the UK Gambling Commission to address remaining unresolved issues. These recommendations include conducting research to understand survey response biases, evaluating question biases for online respondents, and exploring opportunities to benchmark GSGB estimates against face-to-face interviews in the future.

Tim Miller, executive director of the UK Gambling Commission, welcomed Sturgis’s recommendations, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to leveraging better data for improved regulation and outcomes. Miller emphasized the importance of understanding the impact of changes to the survey design and methodology, signaling a commitment to ongoing evolution and improvement.

The endorsement of the GSGB marks a significant milestone in the quest for more accurate and comprehensive gambling statistics in the UK.

The UK Gambling Commission aims to enhance gambling regulations by improving data collection methodologies, believing that better data leads to better regulation and outcomes.

Through extensive consultations and collaboration with stakeholders, including the government and academic experts, the Commission made significant progress in developing the GSGB, to produce reliable statistics to inform policymaking and ensure effective regulation of the gambling sector.

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Casino operators across the globe constantly strive to improve the conditions for their customers by rolling out different amenities. From comfortable chairs to the latest video slots and a wide range of table games, the competition among operators is fierce.

Currently, Macau is one major gambling hub for the Asian region and operators there also focus on ensuring exceptional entertainment for their guests. Now, according to a new study, the overall Gaming Service Index (GIS) across Macau for 2023, hit a new record. As announced by IAG, recently, the Macau Gaming Research Association (MGRA) released the results of its “Macau Gaming Service Index (GSI) 2023” survey, uncovering important details about the positive change within the gambling sector.

In 2013, when the first MGRA survey was released, the gambling sector in the country started from a base of 100 points. Ten years later, for the fourth quarter of 2023, Macau’s GSI was evaluated at 145 points. This result marked the highest-ever GSI recorded and represented an uptick of 7 points when compared to the Q4 2022 result of 138.

The second-best result ever recorded in terms of Macau’s GSI was 139, dating from Q2 2017. Overall, over the last decade, a rising trend was observed in Macau’s GSI, culminating with the latest result.

The Number of Players Boosts Casino Employee’s Performance

Besides the overall GSI for the gaming sector in Macau, the latest survey uncovered interesting insights regarding the sector. There were three main categories that were used for the assessment of gaming staff within the survey. Those categories included “smile,” “proactivity,” and “tolerance.”

When it comes to the smiling index, the latest survey revealed a result of 171, up when compared to the results from last year. Similarly, the proactivity index hit 172, marking once again an increase when compared to the results from the previous year. Last but not least, the tolerance index was 103, according to the latest study.

The newly released study made an important discovery, highlighting a connection between the recorded indexes and the number of players participating in a table game. According to the recent results, if there were between seven and nine gamblers participating in a game, the smile, proactivity and tolerance indexes were 1.13, 0.87 and 0.74. An increase to 1.24, 0.98 and 0.82 respectively was observed whenever there were more than nine players participating in a table game.

The collection of data for the new study was completed via mystery shopping surveys. A dozen casinos in Macau were evaluated for the latest GSI index.

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A November 2023 survey conducted by the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) in collaboration with research company Enkätfabriken provides valuable insights into Swedes’ gambling habits and awareness levels. The data sheds light on key trends and sentiments related to gambling in the country and highlights the government’s ongoing efforts to curb gambling harm.

Effective Regulation Requires Comprehensive Data

The survey results revealed some intriguing insights into the gambling habits of Swedes. According to the data, a staggering 75% of Sweden’s population had engaged in gambling activities in the past 12 months. At the time of the study, 41% of respondents had gambled in the last week, showcasing an increase compared to previous surveys in 2022 (38%) and 2021 (34%).

Relatively low-risk verticals remained the most popular, with lottery retaining its position as the most popular form of gambling. 74% of respondents who had gambled in the last 12 months revealed they had participated in lotteries, with trotting ranked second with 25%, followed by sports betting and bingo at 15%, and online casinos at 10%.

Gambling harm rates appear to be on the rise, as roughly 10% of respondents felt that they had gambled too much in the last year. The percentage of people who played to chase profits also increased, as did the number of respondents who knew someone close to them experiencing issues with excessive gambling.

The Unregulated Sector Is on the Rise

The survey revealed a worrying lack of awareness regarding black-market gambling, as 91% of respondents did not know how to determine if a website held a Swedish gaming license. Even among those who played almost daily, 59% could not identify licensed sites. Only 40% believed playing at licensed sites had an advantage, marking a 13% decrease from the 2022 survey.

Such data aligns with warnings from Sweden’s online gambling association, Branschföreningen för Onlinespel, which highlighted how misguided regulations made licensed operators less competitive compared to black market entities. The organization notes that the upcoming gambling tax increase will further exacerbate these issues and further destabilize the country’s fragile market.

The newest SGA data highlights the need for increased awareness and education on responsible gambling practices. Swedish gamblers require better ways to identify licensed sites and understand the advantages of playing on licensed platforms. Rising problem gambling rates also indicate that the government needs to rethink its policies and focus on counteracting unlicensed operators.

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A recent study by The British Medical Journal (BMJ) highlights the dangers social media presents to young people’s health. This, according to the experts, includes higher chances of participation in gambling and, by extension, higher risks of gambling harm.

Dubbed Social media use and health risk behaviors in young people: systematic review and meta-analysis, the study evaluates potential links between the use of social media and addictive tendencies. Primarily focused on people from 10 to 19, the study sought to understand how social media affects young and vulnerable audiences.

The BMJ linked the daily use of social media to the use of alcohol consumption, drug use, tobacco use, anti-social behavior, multiple risk behaviors and gambling. The study also found out that content showcasing health risk behaviors led to increased odds of use of electronic nicotine delivery systems, unhealthy dietary behaviors and alcohol consumption.

According to The BMJ’s findings, the daily use of social media increased young people’s odds of gambling by a whopping 200% compared to those who use social media infrequently. While the overall youth gambling in the UK is declining, the findings are a step toward further understanding of how to prevent it.

The BMJ experts concluded that the regular use of social media is associated with adverse health risk behaviors among young people. However, the study added that further research would be needed to better understand these links.

For reference, the study saw The BMJ evaluate over 126 previous surveys conducted between 1997 and 2022, involving millions of adolescents.

Another Survey Shows Youth Gambling Is on the Decline

As mentioned, the UKGC recently conducted another, more gambling-oriented study on younger people. Titled Young People and Gambling Survey for 2023, it probed into audiences aged 11 to 17 and learned that youth gambling is actually on the decline.

The study engaged 3,453 online participants across the United Kingdom and recorded a decrease of 5%. The encouraging results attested to the efficiency of the UKGC’s latest efforts to protect younger Brits.

For reference, some of the commission’s recent initiatives led to a 10% decrease in exposure to gambling advertisements among 11-17-year-olds.

The survey identified only 0.7% of young players as problem gamblers. It also identified 1.5% of respondents as at-risk players and 23% as non-problem gamblers. In the meantime, 74% of the young people had not taken part in gambling over the past year.

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The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) unveiled the launch of the fourth trainer and stable staff survey. The objective is to identify the yard-based issues and help the Industry People Board form a strategy for tackling them.

The survey, commissioned by the Industry People Board, is delivered in partnership with the BHA, the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS). It will see trainers and stable staff contacted by Public Perspectives, an independent research organization. Public Perspectives will provide the survey to trainers and staff across Britain in the following days.

This is notably the fourth time such a survey has been launched, following surveys carried out in 2016, 2018 and 2021.

The Racing Foundation Continues to Invest in the Sector

The BHA added that the study will not only underscore the important issues but will also help the body measure the progress of major initiatives funded by the Racing Foundation. For reference, these initiatives sought to support the recruitment of stable staff, develop the skills of the workforce within the racing sector and encourage greater staff retention.

The BHA also said that the survey is in line with the Racing Foundation’s continued investment in initiatives that seek to drive improvements in the industry’s staff-related matters. Since the first survey in 2016, the foundation has invested over £12 million (approximately $15 million) to address staffing issues.

This latest study will run from November to early January.

The Study Will Help the Industry People Board Form a Strategy

Tansy Challis, the Racing Foundation’s chief executive officer, commented on the matter, saying that her team is happy to once again support the survey. She said that the 2016 survey helped the industry set a baseline from which to measure progress and identify issues.

Unfortunately, the 2021 surveys highlighted ongoing problems within the sector.

We are, therefore, encouraged by the formation of the Industry People Board and its aim to develop a People Strategy.

Tansy Challis, CEO, Racing Foundation

Challis concluded that the data from this year’s study will help the Industry People Board improve its strategy. She hopes that all trainers and stable staff will complete the survey.

Meanwhile, the Industry People Board’s chairman, Neil Hayward, said that the newly-formed body is ambitious on securing a reliable workforce and a working environment the industry can be proud of. While there is much to do, the survey will help his team to make informed decisions and evaluate the impact of current and future initiatives.

We appreciate the time and effort taken by those who respond to the survey. The better the response rate the more detailed a picture we have about what is happening to, and what matters to, the industry’s workforce.

Neil Hayward, chair, Industry People Board

In September, British horseracing authorities launched a probe into the public’s feelings about the controversial affordability checks.

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Yesterday, the NCAA released the findings of a new survey of campus compliance directors that inquired about the directors’ experience with sports betting-related issues. As it turns out, a concerning 27% of autonomy schools have dealt with sports betting problems among their athletes and staff.

The reported number marks a significant increase from 2019. To make matters worse, a similar percentage of autonomy conference compliance administrators said that athletes on their campus got harassed online by sports bettors.

The survey was commissioned by NCAA president Charlie Baker who wanted to see how campus administrators face betting trends and problems. Baker noted that, unfortunately, student-athletes are constantly subjected to harassment by bettors. At the same time, billion-dollar ad campaigns continue to target young people across the USA.

Because of these problems, Baker noted that his team will need help from regulators and sportsbooks to protect student-athletes from harassment, betting problems and match manipulations. He said that the data from the current survey will fuel the NCAA’s tools, helping the organization provide gambling education to young players.

Clint Hangebrauck, NCAA’s managing director of enterprise risk management, echoed Baker’s words, saying that the data will help the association develop educational tools.

Administrators Desire More Educational Resources

The NCAA noted that the survey targeted the senior compliance administrator from each Division I, II and III member school, to provide the NCAA with a better understanding of the underlying issues. Administered in July and August, the survey was completed by more than 500 respondents.

The survey confirmed that over 95% of Division I schools and a majority of Division II and III schools have at least some form of sports betting education for players, coaches and administrators. In addition to discussing NCAA bylaws, betting terms and gambling laws, many schools also address gambling problems and harm.

The NCAA noted that compliance administrators approved the association’s collaboration with EPIC Risk Management. Many of them also expressed their desire to receive more wagering resources from the NCAA. For reference, the national office staff is currently developing educational modules that will be available to administrators very soon.

The NCAA concluded that many schools also use monitoring services that allow them to identify suspicious patterns. Around a third of autonomy schools have an agreement with such service providers. Others, on the other hand, are getting access to such information through their conference office or the NCAA national office.

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An annual survey of the state of the online gambling market in the Netherlands showed signs of market maturing but legal market recognition for the public has barely increased.

Gamblers Increase, Risk Gamblers Stable

The Netherlands Online Gambling Association (NOGA) Online Gaming Barometer, an annual report on the online market conducted by market research and public opinion specialist, IPSOS, since 2021 revealed that the local market is showing early signs of maturity.

The latest edition of the consumer survey showed that more and more Dutch people are gambling online now compared to two years ago while the number of those doing it with an unlicensed gambling provider is falling, with 94% currently choosing the safer and responsible gambling environment of a licensed provider.

The NOGA barometer also showed that 14% of the adult population of the country is gambling online, marking an increase from the 11% registered in the previous report. Most online players are either men or young adults, just like last year, but the share of young players went up from 21% in 2022 to 30% now.

The frequency of play has increased compared to the previous year, too, explained by the preference of players to gamble via their smartphones, with online sports betting and online casino being their preferred gambling verticals.

The growing number of young players is the main reason behind the increase from 8% to 14% in risk gamblers seen among young adults. And researchers believe this tendency may continue in line with the growing market, pointing out that it is part of gambling providers’ responsibilities to limit this increase.

Despite the increase in the number of gamblers and the increase in young risk gamblers, the share of risk gambling in the country is not increasing significantly, with the majority of the players agreeing that gambling addiction is a major risk.

Fewer Ads but Recognition Remains Challenging

The Dutch now believe that gambling harm prevention is a major responsibility of gambling providers, with almost 9 out of 10 respondents expecting gambling firms to provide information about the risks associated with online gambling.

Contrary to what Franc Weerwind, the Dutch minister for legal protection believes, the survey showed encouraging results for the industry’s self-regulating approach to advertising as fewer participants have seen gambling advertisements in the past year.

A major area where the gambling regime is not delivering is public recognition of legal providers which has not, or barely increased since the legalization of online gambling in October 2021, with more than two-thirds of the players unable to distinguish between a licensed operator and an offshore provider.

NOGA director Peter-Paul de Goeij commented that this area is really important for the market, stressing that “whether or not you have gambled before; it must be as easy and clear as possible to identify licensed safe providers, especially if that recognition deteriorates again due to the upcoming advertising ban.”

“It is up to us, together with the government, to make the licensed offer even safer in the coming years and thus protect online gamblers even better – while the licensed offer remains attractive enough to keep them away from illegal activities,” he concluded.

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A majority of Queens residents would favor a casino near Citi Field in Queens according to a survey conducted on behalf of the group pushing for the casino.

Residents Open to the Casino Idea

The survey was conducted by Schoen Cooperman Research on behalf of New Green Willets, the firm lobbying for the casino plan near Citi Field, from April 7 to April 14 among 600 Queens residents, according to the memo sent by the research agency to the lobbying firm on Monday.

The survey revealed that 78% of the borough residents supported the casino project upon receiving further details of the plan, while 65% of the respondents became more supportive as soon as they had been told that the casino hotel would also feature a live music venue and conference spaces, besides casino gaming.

The memo depicting an overall public openness to a casino in the area did not provide details about residents from which neighborhoods had participated in the survey or a geographical breakdown of the results.

The casino in northern Queens is competing with Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and Long Island for one of three $500 downstate casino licenses but two of the licenses are expected to be awarded to existing racinos in Yonkers and southeast Queens, intensifying the competition for the final permit.

The New York State launched the bidding process in January and bids are centered on community input, requiring a two-third approval from a panel of representatives, including the mayor, governor, local Assembly member, state Senator, local City Council member, and the local borough president.

The northern Queens casino project is pushed by New Green Willets, a lobbying company with close ties to the owner of the New York Mets, Steve Cohen, which is working behind the scenes to gather the required public support for the casino planned to be built on 50 blocks of asphalt by the ballpark.

The idea of a casino near Citi Field is not met without resistance: in March, its opponents gathered at a library in Flushing and held a press conference during which they urged the local authorities to reject the plan.

A survey conducted by Siena College in January revealed that support and opposition to a casino in Manhattan was balanced as 38% showed support of the idea and 38% opposed it.

Other candidates for one of the downstate casino licenses are seeking to build a casino in the Bronx and at Coney Island in Brooklyn, but an early favorite is seen in the project seeking to put a casino at the Nassau Coliseum site on Long Island.

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