A new poll states that most of British Columbians choose to gamble in one way or another.
According to a poll done earlier this week by Research Co., almost three-in-five B.C residents have bought a lottery ticket in the last year. Ranging from scratch-and-wins to casino gambling to online gambling, the poll suggests that nearly 21 per cent of gamblers expect to hit it big when playing.
Mario Canseco, president of the polling firm, said that the anticipation of winning gets stronger as gamblers get older.
“The youngest lottery ticket buyers in British Columbia have bigger dreams than their older counterparts,” said Canseco.
“While only 24 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 do not believe they will win a prize, the proportion rises to 40 per cent among those aged 35 to 54 and 50 percent among those aged 55 and over.”
ALSO READ: Salmon Arm houses cheaper to buy than many towns in B.C.
ALSO READ: Possible Canadian cases of vaping illnesses being investigated: health officer
Meanwhile, 67 per cent of those polled believe the government should be doing more to deal with the negative effects of gambling. At the same time, almost 88 per cent of residents would attempt to find ways to gamble even if it was made illegal.
The study of 800 adults done in early September found that lottery tickets are the biggest form of gambling while online card games and horse betting aren’t exactly crowd favourites.
Meanwhile, B.C. casinos get various opinions.
“Three-in-five British Columbians believe (casinos) bring tourism dollars and create jobs,” said the survey.
“Conversely, 27 per cent feel casinos increase gambling addiction and lead to more crime and traffic.”
To report a typo, email:newstips@kelownacapnews.com.
@KelownaCapNewsnewstips@kelownacapnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
