A record-high number of Americans have a favorable opinion towards the casino industry, according to a national survey commissioned by the American Gaming Association.
The 2019 American Attitudes on Casino Gaming survey reported that 49% of respondents in the US said their views of the industry were favorable. That figure was a 4% increase from 2018 and the highest favorability rating since the survey started in 2009.
The high favorability rating continues a trend of rising favorability, after the industry’s favorability rating started at 31% in 2009. The rating reached a previous high of 48% in 2014 before overtaking that mark this year.
“The favorability of our industry has never been higher,” Bill Miller, president and chief executive of the American Gaming Associationm said. “As gaming expands across the U.S. and more Americans engage with our industry’s offerings, they see firsthand gaming’s positive impact on local economies and its value as a community partner.
“I’m committed to continuing the association’s work to translate gaming’s vast popularity into political capital, one of my top priorities for AGA.”
In addition, 71% of respondents said that casinos create jobs, 57% said that casinos help local economies and 47% said casinos help the communities in which they are located.
The percentage of Americans who visited a casino in the past year also increased, up nine percentage points to 44%, while 49% of respondents said they would visit a casino to gamble in the next year.
When asked if the gaming industry provides high-quality entertainment, 67% of respondents said yes, while 63% said that casino options were innovative.
The Mellman Group conducted the survey of Americans’ attitudes on behalf of the American Gaming Association between Sept. 13-19, 2019. The sample for the study was 1,000 registered voters, with interviews were conducted both online and via phone