Poll: Half of Americans Approve of Legal Sports Betting

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A new poll finds that half of Americans approve of legal sports betting.

The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll conducted shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting found that 50 percent of Americans favor it, with 37 percent opposed.

Supporters say people are doing it anyway (which 57 percent of supporters said), and cite extra tax revenue to states as benefits (52 percent.)

Opponents fear expanding sports betting will lead to more people with gambling problems; 66 percent of opponents listed that concern as a reason for their disapproval. Other concerns among opponents are worries about the spread of organized crime (43 percent) and concern over the integrity of the games (39 percent).

Ruling Monday on a case from New Jersey, the court struck down a ban on sports betting in all but four states. It allowed individual states to pass laws legalizing sports betting.

A majority of respondents to the poll (62 percent) say the sports leagues should not get a cut of the proceeds, compared to 32 percent who support that.

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