US Support of Gambling at All Time High Says Pol

(Associated Press) - Americans' support of legalized gambling is at all-time high, according to a new poll prepared for the casino industry's main trade group.

The report for the American Gaming Association also supports an assertion the gambling industry has long held: that casinos should be treated like any other business and not subjected to vastly higher taxes.

The poll finds 57 percent favor casino gambling, and 87 percent say gambling in general is an acceptable activity.

The survey, released Tuesday, shows that three-quarters of casino visitors set a budget, with more than half limiting themselves to $200.

The telephone poll of 1,000 voters, done last month by Democratic pollster Mark Mellman and Republican Glen Bolger, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

-  Wayne Parry, Associated Press