For immediate release Monday, February 3, 2014 6 pp.
Contacts:
Krista Jenkins 908.328.8967 (cell) or 973.443.8390 (office) -- kjenkins@fdu.edu
Don Hoover 609.432.7297 or dhoover@fdu.edu
The most recent statewide survey of registered voters from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind finds that forty-one percent now support the legalization of small quantities of marijuana for recreational use while 32 percent approve of legalized online gambling, which has been in effect in New Jersey for the past few months.
The percentage of registered voters who support online gaming has dropped, even though the practice was recently legalized and increasing numbers of players are registering with New Jersey casinos. A third (32%) are currently in favor, with 57 percent opposed. The university’s survey research group has asked this question repeatedly over the years, and the current findings represent a decline in favor from those in March 2013. At that time, 41 percent favored online gambling and 46 percent said they were opposed.
“The public’s attitude was, for several years, warming up to online gambling,” said Krista Jenkins, director of PublicMind and professor of political science. “But there has been a clear change in direction, now that the practice has actually been legalized. Part of the public has always shown deep reluctance to make gambling so accessible in their own homes. Now that it is in fact legal, they may be more concerned than ever.”
Those who say they visited a casino in the last 12 months are significantly more apt to support online gambling. Around four-in-ten of these individuals support the legalization, whereas barely a quarter (28%) of those without a recent casino visit say the same. And, women remain more opposed than men. Two thirds of women (67%) reject online gambling’s legalization, compared with around half of men (47%).
“Internet gambling firms operating in New Jersey have been marketing heavily through numerous media outlets to gain recognition in the online gambling space. These numbers may reflect a bit of intolerance to internet gambling due to the nature and volume of advertising about IGAMING recently in New Jersey,” said Donald Hoover, Senior Lecturer of Hospitality Management.
Even the more seemingly controversial proposal of marijuana legalization garners comparatively more support than that for online gambling. Four-in-ten registered voters say they support the legalization of small quantities of marijuana for recreational use – a recent proposal in the New Jersey legislature - with 52 percent opposed. Eighty percent of voters have heard or read “a lot” or “some” news about states that have recently legalized the drug.
A defining characteristic of those following legalization news closely, and who support legalization in New Jersey, is the experience of having tried marijuana. Forty-two percent say they’ve tried it, with considerably more Democrats (46%) than Republicans (37%), men (45%) than women (38%), whites (45%) than non-whites (35%) and Baby Boomers (57%) compared to everyone else. The marijuana user or dabbler has followed the news more closely than someone who’s never tried it (85% versus 76%), and supports legalization in the state significantly more than the non-user (62% versus 25%).
“These numbers point to the possibility that fertile ground exists in the state for those looking to expand legalization beyond medicinal use. Policymakers will likely be watching for changes in public opinion as the percentage difference between those in favor and opposed gets closer to the 50/50 mark. Right now, however, a majority of the public remains opposed,” said Jenkins.
On the question of whether the law allowing medicinal use of marijuana in New Jersey has helped the state, hurt the state, or made no difference, most would say “no harm, no foul.” Two-thirds (63%) say the legalization of medicinal marijuana has neither helped nor hurt the state, with opinion fairly constant across a variety of demographic categories. The only group who believes it’s helped more than hurt in numbers that are considerably greater than others are the Millennials, young people between the ages of 18 and 29. A third of them (35%) say legalized medicinal marijuana has helped the state, with about half that number of older registered voters saying the same.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 734 registered voters in New Jersey was conducted by telephone with both landline and cell phones from January 20 through January 26 and has a margin of error of +/-3.6 percentage points.
Methodology, questions, and tables on the web at: http://publicmind.fdu.edu
Radio actualities at 201.692.2846 For more information, please call 201.692.7032
Methodology
The most recent survey by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind was conducted by telephone from January 20 through January 26 using a randomly selected sample of 734 registered voters who reside in New Jersey. One can be 95 percent confident that the error attributable to sampling has a range of +/- 3.6 percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups is larger and varies by the size of that subgroup. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers.
PublicMind interviews are conducted by Opinion America of Cedar Knolls, NJ, with professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system. Random selection >is achieved by computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a landline phone number (including those with unlisted numbers) an equal chance of being selected.
Landline households are supplemented with a separate, randomly selected sample of cell-phone respondents interviewed in the same time frame. The total combined sample is mathematically weighted to match known demographics of age, race and gender.
Tables
Do you favor or oppose allowing New Jersey casinos to run online gambling for people in New Jersey? |
||||||||||||
|
|
PID |
Gender |
Race |
Age |
|||||||
|
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
White |
Non-white |
18-29 |
30-44 |
45-59 |
60+ |
Favor |
32% |
28 |
31 |
37 |
42 |
23 |
37 |
22 |
38 |
40 |
33 |
22 |
Oppose |
57% |
61 |
60 |
50 |
47 |
67 |
52 |
68 |
52 |
47 |
58 |
67 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
11% |
10 |
8 |
12 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
9 |
10 |
13 |
8 |
11 |
Do you favor or oppose allowing New Jersey casinos to run online gambling for people in New Jersey? |
||
|
Visited casino in last 12 months |
|
|
Yes |
No |
Favor |
41 |
28 |
Oppose |
44 |
63 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
15 |
8 |
TREND Do you favor or oppose the recent decision by the legislature, signed into law by Governor Christie, that allows New Jersey casinos to run online gambling for people in New Jersey? |
|||
|
March 2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
Favor |
41% |
31% |
26% |
Oppose |
46% |
58% |
67% |
Unsure |
13% |
11% |
7% |
Recently, New Jersey made it legal for New Jersey casinos to provide online, or internet, gambling for New Jersey residents. How much have you heard or read about this…? |
||||||||||||
|
|
PID |
Gender |
Race |
Age |
|||||||
|
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
White |
Non-white |
18-29 |
30-44 |
45-59 |
60+ |
A lot |
25% |
25 |
18 |
28 |
26 |
23 |
27 |
19 |
17 |
22 |
28 |
25 |
Some |
32% |
31 |
29 |
35 |
34 |
29 |
35 |
24 |
22 |
29 |
35 |
34 |
Just a little |
23% |
24 |
25 |
21 |
22 |
24 |
25 |
21 |
23 |
23 |
23 |
25 |
Nothing at all |
20% |
21 |
28 |
16 |
18 |
22 |
13 |
36 |
38 |
26 |
14 |
15 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
Recently, New Jersey made it legal for New Jersey casinos to provide online, or internet, gambling for New Jersey residents. How much have you heard or read about this…? |
||
|
Visited casino in last 12 months |
|
|
Yes |
No |
A lot |
34 |
20 |
Some |
33 |
32 |
Just a little |
21 |
24 |
Nothing at all |
12 |
24 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
0 |
0 |
Have you or anyone in your households visited a casino or slots parlor in the past 12 months? |
||||||||||||
|
|
PID |
Gender |
Race |
Age |
|||||||
|
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
White |
Non-white |
18-29 |
30-44 |
45-59 |
60+ |
Yes |
32 |
28 |
23 |
39 |
31 |
32 |
35 |
25 |
25 |
30 |
36 |
32 |
No |
68 |
72 |
77 |
61 |
68 |
68 |
65 |
75 |
75 |
70 |
63 |
68 |
DK/Ref |
2 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
Some states have made small quantities of marijuana legal for recreational use. How much have you heard or read about these states? |
||||||||||||
|
|
PID |
Gender |
Race |
Age |
|||||||
|
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
White |
Non-white |
18-29 |
30-44 |
45-59 |
60+ |
A lot |
45% |
43 |
44 |
47 |
51 |
39 |
45 |
45 |
51 |
43 |
42 |
47 |
Some |
35% |
35 |
32 |
39 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
27 |
26 |
38 |
36 |
36 |
Just a little |
14% |
15 |
16 |
12 |
11 |
17 |
13 |
19 |
14 |
17 |
14 |
13 |
Nothing at all |
5% |
6 |
7 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
Some states have made small quantities of marijuana legal for recreational use. How much have you heard or read about these states? |
||
|
Any marijuana use in lifetime |
|
|
Yes |
No |
A lot |
51 |
41 |
Some |
34 |
35 |
Just a little |
11 |
17 |
Nothing at all |
4 |
6 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
0 |
0 |
Here in New Jersey, do you favor or oppose legalizing of small quantities of marijuana for recreational use? |
||||||||||||
|
|
PID |
Gender |
Race |
Age |
|||||||
|
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
White |
Non-white |
18-29 |
30-44 |
45-59 |
60+ |
Favor |
41% |
50 |
42 |
30 |
50 |
34 |
44 |
34 |
59 |
36 |
45 |
36 |
Oppose |
52% |
44 |
49 |
66 |
46 |
59 |
50 |
60 |
38 |
57 |
50 |
58 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
6% |
6 |
9 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
Here in New Jersey, do you favor or oppose legalizing of small quantities of marijuana for recreational use? |
||
|
Any marijuana use in lifetime |
|
|
Yes |
No |
Favor |
62 |
25 |
Oppose |
35 |
66 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
3 |
8 |
It’s been a little more than a year since the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened. Do you think thathaving medical marijuana has helped the state, hurt the state, or hasn’t made much difference at all? |
||||||||||||
|
|
PID |
Gender |
Race |
Age |
|||||||
|
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
White |
Non-white |
18-29 |
30-44 |
45-59 |
60+ |
Helped |
19% |
25 |
14 |
12 |
22 |
17 |
16 |
26 |
35 |
15 |
18 |
18 |
Hurt |
5% |
4 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
12 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
No diff |
63% |
58 |
64 |
70 |
64 |
61 |
65 |
55 |
45 |
71 |
65 |
59 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
13% |
14 |
16 |
12 |
11 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
8 |
10 |
14 |
18 |
It’s been a little more than a year since the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened. Do you think that having medical marijuana has helped the state, hurt the state, or hasn’t made much difference at all? |
||
|
Any marijuana use in lifetime |
|
|
Yes |
No |
Helped |
24 |
15 |
Hurt |
2 |
7 |
No diff |
66 |
61 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
8 |
17 |
Many people have tried marijuana at some point in their life. What about you/ Have you ever tried marijuana? |
||||||||||||
|
|
PID |
Gender |
Race |
Age |
|||||||
|
All |
Dem |
Ind |
Rep |
Men |
Women |
White |
Non-white |
18-29 |
30-44 |
45-59 |
60+ |
Yes |
42% |
46 |
41 |
37 |
45 |
38 |
45 |
35 |
29 |
40 |
57 |
34 |
No |
52% |
49 |
52 |
57 |
48 |
57 |
49 |
62 |
68 |
56 |
36 |
63 |
DK/Ref (vol) |
6% |
5 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
Exact Question Wording and Order
US1 and US2 released January 29, 2014
NJ1 released January 28, 2014
NJ2 released January 29, 2014
NJ3 through NJ5 released January 28, 2014
NJ6 and NJ7 released January 29, 2014
VICE1 Recently, New Jersey made it legal for New Jersey casinos to provide on-line, or internet, gambling for New Jersey residents. How much have you heard or read about this…?
1 A lot
2 Some
3 A little
4 Nothing at all
8 DK/Ref
VICE2 Do you favor or oppose allowing New Jersey casinos to run online gambling for people in New Jersey?
1 Favor
2 Oppose
8 DK/Ref
VICE3 Some states have made small quantities of marijuana legal for recreational use. How much have you heard or read about these states?
1 A lot
2 Some
3 A little
4 Nothing at all
8 DK/Ref
VICE4 Here in New Jersey, do you favor or oppose legalizing of small quantities of marijuana for recreational use?
1 Favor
2 Oppose
8 DK/Ref
VICE5 It’s been a little more than a year since the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened. Do you think that having medical marijuana has helped the state, hurt the state, or hasn’t made much difference at all?
1 Helped
2 Hurt
3 Hasn’t made a difference
8 DK/Ref
D10 Have you or anyone in your household visited a casino or slots parlor in the past 12 months?
1 Yes ]
2 No
8 DK (vol)
9 Refused (vol)
D11 Since the New Jersey law went into effect, have you or anyone in your household, or even a friend, participated in online gambling?
1 Yes
2 No
8 DK/Ref
D12 Many people have tried marijuana at some point in their life. What about you? Have you ever tried marijuana?
1 Yes
2 No
8 DK/Ref
Sample characteristics – Registered voters
Gender
Male |
49 |
Female |
51 |
Age
18-29 |
12 |
30-44 |
26 |
45-59 |
32 |
60+ |
28 |
Refused |
2 |
Race/Ethnicity
White |
69 |
Black/African-American |
13 |
Latino or Hispanic |
9 |
Asian |
5 |
Other/refused |
4 |
Public employee household
Yes |
25 |
No |
73 |
Unsure/refused |
2 |
Party identification
Democrat/Lean Democrat |
44 |
Independent/DK/refused |
23 |
Republican/Lean Republican |
33 |