O-SenseSeventy percent of Idahoans want the state to continue the Powerball lottery, a new Idaho Politics Weekly poll shows.
State lotteries have been in the news lately as the largest Powerball, multi-state, payoff was recently awarded to three lucky ticket-buyers.
Pollster Dan Jones & Associates found in the latest IPW survey that 23 percent of Idahoans want to end the state’s official lottery while 7 percent don’t know.
Idaho citizens amended the state Constitution in 1988 to allow for the state lottery, which has 50 percent of the state’s share going to public schools and 50 percent to a college building fund.
Since that time, $1.86 billion in tickets have been sold, with $437 million going to schools and buildings.
Across the political board, Jones finds, Idahoans like the lottery:
- Republicans favor the lottery, 62-31 percent.
- Democrats like it, 80-12 percent.
- Political independents, 76-18 percent.
Some argue no state should be officially involved in the lottery since it is often lower-income folks who can least afford it play in hopes of winning some cash.
But as the latest Powerball across the nation showed, as the payoffs run into the upper hundreds of millions of dollars, and publicity rises so does the number of people buying tickets.
In fact, in Idaho, the only group of folks who disapprove of the state lottery are Mormons – whose church teaches abstinence from smoking, alcohol and gambling.
Still, even among Idaho Mormons 43 percent favor keeping the state lottery, while 46 percent oppose it.
- 85 percent of Catholics like the lottery, only 6 percent want it gone.
- Protestants want the lottery, 82-10 percent.
- Those with no religion favor it, 74-12 percent.
Jones polled 621 adults from Jan. 21-31; the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.93 percent.
