April 5, 2010 (CAP Newswire) – Flying in the face of a recent, well-publicized poll announcing that many Americans oppose the idea of legalized (and regulated) online casinos and Internet poker, another, more recent report states the opposites: Americans and Canadians are willing to allow online gambling to be legalized. In fact, the report, based on an extensive survey in both countries, reveals that many citizens of the two nations don’t even realize that their governments don’t approve of online gambling in the first place.
“The new study … shows that citizens on both sides of the border are becoming more accepting to the idea of allowing Internet gambling, provided a healthy dose of regulation fits in the mix,” states a summary of the report issued by Ipsos Reid. “Half of Americans (49%) and slightly more than half of Canadians (55%) are willing to permit Internet gambling as long as government regulations are in place.”
Among the study’s other findings are that only 37 percent of Americans and 23 percent of Canadians were aware of the legal status of online gambling in their countries.
“The idea of Internet gambling appears to be gaining acceptance in North America, with more people expressing an interest to see it legalized with proper regulation,” said Paul Lauzon, Senior Vice President & Managing Director of Ipsos Reid’s Lottery & Gaming Group in a news release issued by that organization. “Governments also appear to be doing a poor job at informing citizens that Internet gambling is in fact illegal unless regulated by a State or Provincial authority. Over a two year period, we’ve found that fewer people are aware that Internet gambling is illegal in their country.”
What’s this mean for online gambling affiliate marketers? Clearly, part of the reason why the political initiatives to regulate online gambling are floundering is because of lack of public awareness. Those online gambling affiliates who prefer that the legal situation stay the way it is may take comfort in this news; and for those affiliates who are working for political change, it gives some idea of the work that needs to be done — namely, getting the word out to more online gamblers to let them know what their governments are up to.
Click here to read the original report at Ipsos. Additional coverage of the study at the covers.com sports site can be found here.