AGA survey shows massive support for US sports betting

When you cut past all the hype and legal arguments surrounding regulated sports betting in the United States, you really only have the opinion of the American people. Does the average American think regulated sports betting is going to cause chaos in professional sports? Does the average American care if his or her home state offers regulated sports betting?
According to a recent survey from the American Gaming Association (AGA), support for sports betting has widespread support from the American public. In the recently completed study, a whopping 79 percent of respondents said that they support efforts to legalize sports betting in their home states. That’s really good news for both the gaming industry, and the people who want to wager on sports since at least 36 states are considering sports betting bills of one kind or another.
Furthermore, about two-thirds of all Americans think that regulation of sports betting is best left to state and sovereign tribal governments. (Though it’s unlikely that most of these folks understand the complexities of tribal gaming.) That 66 percent of these folks want to keep the good folks in Washington D.C. out of their sportsbooks is perhaps a reflection of the massive mistrust built by decades of legislative dysfunction in the nation’s capitol.
When it comes to the professional sports league’s suggestion that they should get a cut of the regulated sports betting pie, the American people are decidedly less supportive. Only about 23 percent of them support “integrity fees” to be paid in an effort to prevent game-fixing and search for betting irregularities.
The results of this survey are great news for the gaming industry, but not-so-good for the leagues and crusty senators who want to stab a nail in the heart of regulated sports betting in the USA.