United States
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 22 -Online gambling, also referred to as online gaming, has garnered a great deal of attention and appears to be a thriving industry, but the percentage of online adults who admit to placing bets online is relatively small. Ninety-five (95%) percent of U.S. adults who are online(1) say they have never spent money playing at an online casino, 94 percent say they have never spent money playing online multi-player poker, and even more (97%) say they have never spent money betting on sports online.
Since online gaming is legal in Great Britain, one might think that British adults would be more likely to have gambled online. To the contrary, 91 percent of British adults who are online(2) say they have never spent money betting on sports online, 94 percent say they have never spent money playing at an online casino and 95 percent say they have never spent money playing online multi-player poker.
However, when it comes to "brick-and-mortar" casinos, U.S. adults who are online are much more likely to say they have visited one. In fact, nine in 10 (90%) British online adults say they have never been to one, compared to over six in 10 (62%) U.S. online adults.
These are some of the results of a Harris Poll conducted online by Harris Interactive(R) in the United States between January 12 and 17, 2006 among 2,985 adults and in Great Britain between October 20 and 24, 2005 among 2,074 adults.
While the survey shows there is a small portion of the online population who regularly gambles online, overall, there doesn't seem to be much interest in playing at online casinos, either in the United States or in Great Britain. When asked if they would be likely to play at an online casino in the next six months, 94 percent of U.S. adults who are online say they are not at all likely to do so. Similar numbers say they are not at all likely to play online multi-player poker (92%) or to bet on sports online (96%) in the next six months. The percentages for British adults who are online are very similar, as 92 percent say they are not at all likely to play at an online casino or play online multi-player poker in the next six months, and 90 percent say they are not at all likely to bet on sports online.
Though online gambling is illegal in the United States, the survey also explores the attitudes toward this illegal activity. When asked if online gambling should remain illegal since there is no effective way to regulate or control it, opinions are slightly mixed, as slightly more than half (53%) of U.S. online adults somewhat or strongly agree it should remain illegal, while 47 percent somewhat or strongly disagree.
U.S. adults who are online are also divided over a ban on gambling over the Internet in the United States. One-third (34%) say they are in support of banning it, another third (32%) would oppose it, yet another third (34%) would neither support nor oppose it. Interestingly, both Democrats (32% support, 34% oppose) and Independents (31% support, 32% oppose) appear split on this issue, while Republicans are more likely to support banning it (40% support, 30% oppose).
One potential reason online gaming may be a problem in the minds of online adults is the lack of control and security in this domain. Three-quarters (76%) of U.S. online adults somewhat or strongly disagree that online gaming sites are a safe way to bet if you can't get to a real casino. Even more online adults (85%) somewhat or strongly disagree that current technology allows the gaming sites to keep out underage gamblers.
Much of this distrust may be attributed to the fact that over three in five (64%) U.S. online adults say they do not think online gambling can be effectively regulated, regardless of whether or not they would support or oppose banning online gaming. In fact, just one-quarter (26%) of online adults believe online gaming can be effectively regulated.
Not surprisingly, younger adults in the United States who are online are more likely to be supportive of online casinos. One-third (33%) of Echo Boomers(3) and 30 percent of Generation Xers(4) say online gambling can be effectively regulated, compared to 26 percent of Baby Boomers(5) and only 17 percent of Matures(6). Furthermore, while three-quarters (76%) of those 65 years of age or older who are online somewhat or strongly agree that these sites should remain illegal, only 46 percent of those 18 to 24 years of age who are online and 38 percent of those 25 to 29 years of age who are online somewhat or strongly agree. However, even young adults are not completely convinced that technology can deter underage gamblers. Among those who are online, just one-quarter (23%) of 18 to 24-year olds and 16 percent of 25 to 29-year-olds strongly or somewhat agree that current technology allows online gaming sites to keeps underage gamblers out.
TABLE 1
U.S. SPENDING ON GAMBLING
"How often do you spend money on the following?"
Base: All online adults
At At
At least least At Decline
least once once least Less Never to
once a every every once a often answer
month 2-3 4-6 year
months months
Playing online
multi-player poker % 2 1 1 1 1 94 *
Playing at a casino
(not online) % 2 3 5 11 16 62 *
Playing at an online
casino % 1 1 1 * 2 95 *
Betting on sports
online % * 1 * * 1 97 *
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
* Less than 0.5%.
TABLE 2
BRITISH SPENDING ON GAMBLING
"How often do you spend money on the following?"
Base: All online adults
At At
At least least At Decline
least once once least Less Never to
once a every every once a often answer
month 2-3 4-6 year
months months
Betting on sports
online % 3 1 1 1 2 91 *
Playing online
multi-player poker % 2 1 * * 1 95 1
Playing at an online
casino % 1 1 1 1 1 94 *
Playing at a casino
(not online) % * 1 1 2 6 90 *
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
* Less than 0.5%.
TABLE 3
FUTURE GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES "And how likely, if at all, are you to do the following in the next six
months?"
Base: All online adults
Not Not
Likely Extremely Very Likely Somewhat At All
(NET) Likely Likely Likely (NET) Likely Likely
Playing at a
casino
(not online) % 10 6 4 7 82 15 67
Playing online
multi-player
poker % 3 2 1 2 95 3 92
Playing at an
online casino % 2 1 1 1 97 3 94
Betting on
sports online % 1 1 1 1 98 2 96
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 4
FUTURE GAMBLING ACTIVITIES IN GREAT BRITAIN "And how likely, if at all, are you to do the following in the next six
months?"
Base: All online adults
Not Not
Likely Extremely Very Likely Somewhat At All
(NET) Likely Likely Likely (NET) Likely Likely
Betting on
sports online % 5 4 1 2 93 3 90
Playing online
multi-player
poker % 4 3 1 1 95 3 92
Playing at an
online casino % 3 2 1 2 95 3 92
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 5
U.S. ATTITUDES TOWARDS ONLINE GAMING "Please let us know what you think about the following statements related to
online gaming."
Base: All online adults
Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly Agree Disagree
Agree Agree Disagree Disagree (NET) (NET)
Since there
is no effective
way to regulate
or control
Internet
gambling, it
should remain
illegal % 27 27 30 17 53 47
Current
technology
allows
online gaming
sites to keep
out underage
gamblers % 4 11 36 49 15 85
Online gaming
sites are a
safe way to
bet if you
can't get to
a real casino % 2 22 33 43 24 76
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 6
U.S. ATTITUDES TOWARD ONLINE GAMING - By Age "Please let us know what you think about the following statements related to
online gaming."
Percent Saying Somewhat or Strongly Agree
Base: All online adults
Age
Total 18-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-64 65+
% % % % % % %
Since there is no effective
way to regulate or control
Internet gambling, it
should remain illegal 53 46 38 46 49 61 76
Online gaming sites are a
safe way to bet if you
can't get to a real
casino 24 35 28 28 25 18 17
Current technology allows
online gaming sites to
keep out underage gamblers 15 23 16 15 16 11 12
TABLE 7
BANNING ONLINE GAMBLING (U.S.) - BY PARTY ID "Currently, the only gambling operations on the Internet are run by offshore and international companies, U.S. companies are not allowed to have Internet
gambling sites. Would you support or oppose banning gambling over the
Internet in the U.S.?"
Base: All online adults
Party ID
Total Republican Democrat Independent
% % % %
Support (NET) 34 40 32 31
Strongly support 20 26 16 17
Somewhat support 15 14 16 14
Neither support nor
oppose 34 29 34 37
Oppose (NET) 32 30 34 32
Somewhat oppose 11 8 14 10
Strongly support 21 23 19 22
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
TABLE 8
REGULATING ONLINE GAMING (U.S.) - BY GENERATION "Regardless of whether you would favor or oppose banning online gaming, do you
think it can be effectively regulated?"
Base: All online adults
Generation
Echo Generation Baby
Total Boomers Xers Boomers Matures
(age (age 28-39) (age (age 59+)
18-27) 40-58)
% % % % %
Can be Regulated (NET) 26 33 30 26 17
Definitely can be
regulated 5 6 4 4 4
Probably can be
regulated 22 26 25 21 13
Can Not be Regulated
(NET) 64 53 61 65 75
Probably can not be
regulated 44 39 44 44 49
Definitely can not be
regulated 20 14 22 22 25
Not sure 10 14 9 9 9
Note: Percentages may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
Methodology
The Harris Poll(R) was conducted online within the United States between January 12 and 17, 2006 among a nationwide cross section of 2,985 adults (aged 18 and over) and in Great Britain between October 20 and 24, 2005 among a nationwide cross section of 2,074 adults (aged 18 and older).
Results in the United States were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the online population on key variables including age by sex, race, region, education, household income, connection type, and Internet usage per week. Results in Great Britain were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the online population on key variables including age, gender, education, region, income, and Internet usage.
In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the U.S. and British results have a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points of what they would be if the entire online adult populations in the United States or Great Britain had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data, and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. These online samples are not probability samples.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
J26567
Q950, 955, 960, 965, 970
The Harris Poll(R) #17, February 22, 2006
By Regina Corso, research director, Public Affairs and Government Research Practice, Harris Interactive(R)
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive Inc. (http://www.harrisinteractive.com), based in Rochester, New York, is the 13th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.
Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe) and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France (http://www.novatris.com), and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V
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Press Contacts: Jennifer Cummings
Harris Interactive
585-214-7720
Caroline North
Harris Interactive
+44 (0) 208 263 5246
cnorth@harrisinteractive.com Harris Interactive Inc. 02/06
(1) 73% of the total adult population in the United States is online.
Harris Interactive weighted all U.S. data to align with the total U.S.
online adult population.
(2) 67% of the total adult population in Great Britain is online. Harris
Interactive weighted G.B. data to align with the total British online
adult population.
(3) U.S. online adults aged 18 to 27.
(4) U.S. online adults aged 28 to 39.
(5) U.S. online adults aged 40 to 58.
(6) U.S. online adults aged 59 or over.
