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CONTACT: EMBARGOED UNTIL: April 4, 2001 at 7:00 p.m. KAET POLL PUBLIC CONTINUES TO SUPPORT INDIAN GAMING; A statewide telephone poll of 437 registered voters shows strong support for Casino gaming on Indian reservations. Sixty-six percent (66%) of those interviewed support the casinos, 21 percent are opposed and 13 percent had no opinion. When told that Indian gaming has hurt business at dog and horse racing tracks, 31 percent said the tracks should be able to conduct the same gaming as the casinos. However, a majority of Arizona voters (56%) were opposed to extending gaming to dog and horse racing tracks and 13 percent were undecided. The poll also showed strong sentiment for Indians to use some of their profits to offset the cost of health and education currently being paid for by the State of Arizona: seventy-six percent (76%) would support such a proposal; Twenty percent (20%) were opposed; and 4% said they had no opinion. Finally, a majority of those polled (56%) felt opening hotels at the casinos would have little effect on non-Indian hotels and tourist business in the state. Twenty-two percent (22%) felt state tourism would be hurt, 8 percent said it would be helped and 14 percent had no opinion. The poll was conducted by KAET-TV and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication at Arizona State University between March 22-25, 2001. According to Dr. Bruce Merrill who supervised the poll, "Support for the Indian gaming tends to cut across most demographic and political lines. The only differences we found were that people living in Pima County, registered Democrats, and voters who identify themselves as political moderates or liberals tend to be more supportive than the rest of the electorate. Interestingly, when we looked at the issue of expanding gaming to dog and horse racing tracks, Republicans, younger people, and those living in Maricopa County and the more rural counties tended to be most supportive. Support for revenue sharing was found in all demographic groups with Republicans and voters seeing themselves as conservative being the most supportive." When the proportion answering a question is 50% and assuming the 95% level of confidence, the sampling error for the survey is plus or minus 4.7%. The sample was 50% male and 50% female. Forty-five percent (45%) of those interviewed were registered as Republicans, 40% Democrats and 15 percent as something other than Republican or Democrat. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of the sample came from Maricopa County, 18% from Pima County, and 23% from counties other than Maricopa or Pima Counties. Q1. First, we would like your opinion about Indian gaming here in Arizona. Do you favor or oppose allowing Indian tribes to operate gaming casinos on their lands?
Q2. The dog and horse racing tracks in Arizona feel Indian gaming has hurt their business. Would you favor or oppose allowing the race tracks to add the same type of gaming at their facilities that is currently allowed at the Indian casinos?
Q3. The State of Arizona does not share in the profits of Indian gaming. Governor Hull is considering requiring the casinos to pay 8% of their profits to the state. The funds would be used to pay for education and health care which the state currently provides for the Indians. Would you support or oppose the Governor'’ plan to have the Indians pay the costs for their education and health care out of gaming profits?
Q4. As you may have heard, a major hotel was opened at the Ak-Chin Casino south of Phoenix. Hotels are being planned at other casinos. Do you think opening these hotels will hurt, help, or have little effect on non-Indian hotels and tourist business in Arizona?
KAET-TV/Channel 8 is a part of Arizona State University. |
