New Siena Poll Reveals New Yorkers' Views on Sports Betting

A new Siena Poll, a research institute for Siena University, recently conducted a poll and found out more about New Yorkers' views on sports betting. 

Here are some of the findings: 

• 25% of New Yorkers took part in sports betting
• 39% believe online sports betting is bad for the state
• 22% believe it's good
• 31% are in the "middle" on the issue. 

The poll was conducted from July 1 to July 8, and the questions were posed to 814 New York residents via phone, text, and an online panel with a 3.7% margin of error.

As for who was asked, here's what Siena said: "Data from collection modes was weighted to balance sample demographics to match estimates for New York State’s population using data from the Census Bureau’s 2023 U.S. American Community Survey (ACS), on age, region, race/ethnicity, and gender to ensure representativeness."

“Attitudes towards sports betting varies greatly based on one’s participation with online sports betting,” said Travis Brodbeck, the associate director of data management at Siena, in a release.

Younger New Yorkers More Likely to Support Sports Betting

Another thing that was discovered in the poll was a bit of a generation divide on sports betting in New York. For respondents and residents over 50, 46% of them said online sports betting is bad for the state, while 29% are in the "middle." 

“We are seeing a generational gap in those who participate in and support sports betting,” Brodbeck said. “Not only are many young New Yorkers placing bets of their own, but they also view the issues surrounding sports betting through a different lens than older residents.”

As for players over 50 who placed a sports bet, that's 12%, while 35% of people under the age of 50 have placed a bet. Then, for men ages 18-49, 53% claim to have placed a wager. 

“Sports betting participation differs greatly by age and gender in New York,” Brodbeck said. “Young adults are more likely than older adults to place sports bets, and men are more likely than women to participate. Sports betting participation is especially concentrated among young men in New York.”

New Yorkers Split on Sports Betting Advertising

The poll also discussed sports betting advertising, and this was split almost right down the middle, with 44% saying they're OK with it during sporting events while 43% oppose it. 

In related sports betting-adjacent news, a judge in New York recently denied Kalshi's bid to block the state from enforcing its sports betting laws.