Lawmakers in the state of Maryland are hoping to get a new iGaming bill passed that will allow for online casinos to enter the state. This was going to be an uphill battle to begin with, but there is another massive opponent that might end up standing in the way.
The Maryland Retailers Alliance is a group that has been opposed to online casinos in the state, and it has been fighting hard against a potential bill. That group now has some serious data to back up their claims, although the data could end up being a bit skewed.
According to a recent poll, a majority of residents in Maryland are not in favor of a new online gaming option, but the poll didn’t show much relevant information. The MRA sought out the help of Public Policy Polling in order to launch this poll, and it believes that the results are worth sharing.
The MRA fears that online casinos will hurt the retail or commercial casinos in the state, pushing back against a recent study that was done. It would take a ballot referendum to pass in order for online casino gambling to pass, and that might not happen in November.
A Look at the Results
While many important details were left out when the poll results were announced, it did show that 64% of Maryland residents were not interested in adding new iGaming options. Only 23% of those polled actually showed support for online casinos to come to the state, while another 13% didn’t have an opinion.
It’s unclear whether or not lawmakers are going to take these poll results seriously or not as Public Policy Polling has not even announced what group of people was polled. Many of these people might not even be planning to vote in November, and therefore their opinions would not matter.
Public Policy Polling did announce that there could be an error of 4.1% when the results were announced, but this would still be a bad look for lawmakers. There have been opponents throughout the entire process, but most believed that residents were in favor of new online casino options.
While it’s unclear why the MRA is so concerned about the actual commercial casinos in the state, they are worried about the overall tourism numbers.
Still a Chance
Lawmakers that are in favor of online casino gambling will likely push back hard against this poll, but it is still some relevant information. There is still hope that a referendum will get on the ballot, but there is plenty of work to be done.
An official bill to legalize online casino gambling has not even gotten to the floor for an official vote, and that is one step that must take place first. From there, it would require a signature from the governor before heading to the poll.
This was a similar process that was used to legalize online sports betting, but that industry did not take away from retail sportsbook revenue.
