A poll conducted for Gov. Kay Ivey’s Study Group on Gambling Policy showed strong support for a lottery in the state, a perennial issue likely to come up in the Legislature again in early 2021.
McLaughlin & Associates conducted the poll Nov. 17-19, with responses from 500 people who said they planned to vote in the 2022 general election.
Generally speaking, do you favor or oppose creating a statewide lottery in Alabama?
Favor: 70.8%; strongly favor, 60.6%, somewhat favor: 10.2%.
Oppose: 25%; strongly oppose, 19.2%, somewhat oppose, 5.8%.
Don’t know or refuse to answer answer, 4.2%.
The 12-member Study Group on Gambling Policy released its report Dec. 18.
Read the report. The poll results are at the end of the 876-page document.
Alabama is one of five states with no lottery. But many Alabamians cross state lines to play lotteries in the four states that border Alabama.
Alabama voters rejected Gov. Don Siegelman’s lottery proposal in 1999.
When Ivey set up the 12-member study group in February, the governor said legislators have proposed more than 180 lottery and gambling bills and courts have issued at least 18 decisions reaffirming the state’s ban on gambling since that 1999 vote. Ivey told the study group to gather facts to help the Legislature and voters settle the issue.
The poll asked many other questions about gambling in Alabama, including:
Generally speaking, do you favor or oppose legalizing gambling in Alabama?
Favor: 67%; strongly favor, 53.6%; somewhat favor, 13.4%.
Oppose: 28.8%; strongly oppose, 22.4%; somewhat oppose, 6.4%.
Don’t know or refuse to answer: 4.2%.
Which of the following comes closest to your opinion on gambling?
Support legalizing gambling: 51.4%
Personally oppose legalizing gambling but other Alabamians should be able to gamble legally: 22%
Oppose gambling and believe it should remain illegal for everyone in Alabama: 23.6%
Don’t know or refuse to answer: 3%.
The legislative session starts Feb. 2.
https://www.al.com/news/2020/12/71-in-poll-favor-creating-lottery-in-alabama.html