Floridians divided on expanding gambling, survey says

The latest Sunshine State Survey data show “a conflicted populace” on the question of expanding gambling in Florida, with about a third wanting Nevada-style casinos and another 20 percent wanting no gambling at all.

More survey results released Monday included a question on gambling: “Do you believe the State of Florida should allow casino gambling only at Seminole Tribe facilities or allow Nevada-style casinos to be built, or allow no gambling at all?”

Results show 34 percent favoring expansion to Nevada-style casinos, 33 percent want it restricted to Seminole Tribe facilities, and 20 percent prefer “no gambling at all.”

In an earlier release, response was split on a “is the state headed in the right direction or wrong direction” question on casino gambling in the state, with 42 percent saying wrong, 30 percent saying right.

“We think that’s the clearer question,” said John Sowinski, president of the No Casinos anti-gambling expansion group in Orlando. “And that one has consistently shown that more people think expanding gambling is the wrong direction.”

The more recent question is a “beauty contest” between Indian and non-Indian gambling “and there’s no winner there,” he added.

Drilling deeper into the latest data, “37 percent of females think that gambling should only take place in Seminole facilities, (but) 39 percent of men think that Nevada-style casinos should be permitted,” the survey said.

“Residents of Miami/Palm Beach are slightly more likely than the state average (37 percent to 34 percent) to support Nevada-style casinos,” it said.

“Opposition to any casino gambling at all increases with age, and is highest among couples (23 percent), those without Internet access (32 percent) and residents of North Florida (32 percent).”

The survey is a collaboration of Nielsen and the University of South Florida. Its website describes it as “the most anticipated annual survey of Floridians on a wide range of economic, social, and political issues.”

The survey is led by Susan MacManus, the doyenne of Florida politics. She develops the poll questions with the help of her “Media and Politics” class.