Poll: Few Admit to Online Gambling

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.