Poll Finds Toronto Casino Has Majority Support
A recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Post, Global Television and Newstalk 1010 revealed that there exists majority support for a casino in Toronto among city residents.
The poll, which was conducted by Ipsos Reid, found that 52% of the respondents were either strongly or generally in favor of a new gambling resort in Toronto.
This was compared to 42% who were opposed to the idea, and 6% who remain undecided.
Even more interestingly, after respondents were shown pro and con arguments about the casino, support for the idea rose to 54%.
Senior vice president of Ipsos, John Wright said about the findings of the report: "It's not a slight edge, it's a significant lead. There is a lot of talking going on, but people have pretty much made up their minds except for a very small group."
"I think this is a slam dunk," he said.
Toronto Casino Poll Statistics
Details of the poll conducted on the Toronto Casino were revealed as follows:
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906 people were surveyed online.
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The poll is considered accurate, plus minus 3.7%.
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Support for the casino is lowest in East York (30%), followed by the old city of Toronto (46%).
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Support for the casino is highest in Etobicoke (57%) and North York (58%).
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Men are more likely to support the idea of a casino than women.
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35 - 54 year olds are most likely to support the idea.
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Middle income earners (ie. $50K - $99K a year) are more receptive to the idea.
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87% of the pollsters had heard about the Toronto casino issue.
Ipsos VP, Wright called this last statistic "astounding."
Pros and Cons of Toronto Casino
The Ipsos Reid survey also presented arguments for and against the Toronto Casino to test how aware residents were of these issues.
93% of the respondents had some level of awareness (ranging from little to very high) that a casino in Toronto would create thousands of jobs, directly and indirectly.
Pro casino opinions were strengthened with statistics about jobs, tourism and revenue to Toronto.
Wright said that with the intensity of the debate on the Toronto casino support, it is not surprising to see what he calls "two solitudes" with such intense views on the subject.
Wright's opinion on the future of the Toronto casino is this: "Unless something incredible happens, the debate for the most part is over."
