When it comes to the legality of internet gambling, Canadians and Americans have the wrong idea, according to the findings of two recent Ipsos Reid polls conducted with Canadians and Americans online as part of a joint lottery survey.
The first poll on the topic - conducted between September 5 and September 9, 2007 - shows that over 70 per cent of Canadians believe gambling over the internet is considered to be legal.
In the US, meanwhile, 59 per cent of Americans believe internet gambling is a legal activity.
A more recent second poll conducted between January 3 and January 8, 2008, replicated similar awareness levels in Canada (73 per cent), but indicated slightly fewer Americans (55 per cent) believe that gambling over the internet is considered to be legal.
One possible explanation for the minor shifts in awareness among Americans could be the recently intensified Republican and Democratic battle for primary elections across the nation. The heavy campaigning may have elevated some social issues to the forefront of Americans’ minds.
