Poll finds New Yorkers divided on online sports betting; a third of fans participate – WRGB

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by WRGB Staff
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Loudonville, NY (WRGB) — New York State first legalized online sports betting in early 2022, and we're now getting insight into how New Yorkers feel about the practice.
A new Siena Research Institute Poll out Thursday found people are pretty evenly divided:
39% say online sports betting regulates and taxes a formerly illegal activity while adding more entertainment for fans
37% say it increases problem-gambling risks, financial hardship, and threatens integrity of games
Despite the divide, a majority (54-25%) of those polled agree that commentators should not be allowed to talk about sports gambling and potential bets during live game broadcasts.
When it comes to actually participating in sports betting, Siena researchers found nearly 20% of all residents bet on football games through an online sportsbook. This number increases to 31% when polling just football fans. A similar number of self-described baseball fans (30%) say they bet on games in that sport, while just 14% of residents in general do so.
The Siena Poll was conducted in September and included 814 New York residents, with a margin of error of +/- 3/7%

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