The strong local support for casinos in Miami was voiced in a poll released by the Miami Herald and other media last Sunday, when a staggering 81% of Florida voters said that any proposed changes to state gambling laws should be decided in the ballot box. However, close scrutiny of the data indicates that while 44% opposed the expansion of gambling in the sunshine state, a strong 42% were in favour of Las Vegas-style casinos.
Brad Coker, director of Mason Dixon Polling and Research, said: “There is a clear division in the state with a majority in Southeast Florida in favor, while every other region is nearly evenly divided. People are saying they don’t like the idea of something this big being a backroom political deal. They’re saying, ‘we want to be able to decide ourselves and weigh up the merits.’”
Florida lawmakers are considering legislation to allow for the development of three US $2 billion mega resorts and convention centers that would include full casino games, with proposals to streamline to create a Gaming Control Board and impose new restrictions more casinos in the near future, by limiting gambling permits.
Casinos support is strongest in South East Florida with 52% of the voters surveyed. In every other region, however, opponents outnumber supporters by a margin 7-10%. Retiree Juan Perez, a Republican from Miami, who supports allowing casinos, asks for the voters to decide: “Put it on the ballot. If we win, the government can sign it.”
A majority of Florida’s likely voters, around 58 percent% believe that permitting casino gambling will help
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increase tourism and bring more revenue to the state, while only 12% believe it will hurt tourism and reduce revenue. Another 23 percent of voters believe casinos will have no effect.
One of the biggest pluses for the expansion of the mega destination casinos proposed for the state of Florida is the investment, jobs and future gambling tax revenues to help the state budget and propel economic development.
Another retiree, Geno Barclay, a Democrat from Port Charlotte, who also believes that casinos would boost the economy, said: “I feel like it would probably be a good idea from what I’ve seen on it so far. You’ve got these little Internet cafes that have popped up all over the state. I think you ought to put in something real nice, boost the Florida economy.”
The telephone survey of 800 registered Florida voters was conducted Jan. 24-26 for the Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, Tampa Bay Times, Bay News 9 and Central Florida News 13, and the survey adds that the margin of error overall is 3.5% points. (E-01.31.12)
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