A new study by AGA shows that support rates for legal gambling in the US have significantly increased. As the upcoming football season and the Responsible Gaming Education Month in September approach, the study by the American Gaming Association (AGA) reveals that Americans' attitudes towards recreational gambling have changed.
Consumers now appreciate the positive pastime of combining sports entertainment with gambling.
Joe Maloney, Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications at AGA, stated: "These latest survey results highlight a consistent trend over the years: as gaming expands to new audiences, Americans increasingly see the benefits of a legal, regulated gaming market that contributes to communities, prioritizes responsibility, and provides unparalleled entertainment."
According to ReadWrite, compared to last year's study, feedback shows a 10% increase in public awareness in the US on how to address gambling issues. Overall, there has been growth in the following areas:
Familiarity with responsible gaming resources
Effectiveness of responsible gaming programs
Increased awareness of responsible gaming information
Responsible marketing and advertising
The research by the American Gaming Association points out that the most surprising favorable indicator growth is that now 55% of Americans believe the gambling industry is committed to responsible gaming and addressing gambling problems. The report shows that Americans who directly interact with the gambling industry rate it higher, with 81% of physical casino players and 88% of sports bettors agreeing with this view, up from 70% and 78% last year.
Given that some states (and indeed countries around the world) are still striving to understand the benefits of legal gambling, the consumer confidence index shows that 75% of Americans support legal sports betting in their own state, which is surprising. Countries like Brazil and Thailand are pushing for legal gambling, while US states such as South Carolina and Nebraska continue to actively lobby in strong support of legal gambling.
