NJ Residents: Marijuana is More Appealing than Online Gambling

41% of New Jersey residents would prefer to have legal marijuana and only 32% are interested in online gambling.

American internet casinos are less popular than marijuana! At least that’s the conclusion to be drawn from a recent Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll conducted among residents of New Jersey, where 41% of the respondents said they would have preferred state lawmakers to legalize marijuana instead of online gambling.

Last November, a new set of American gambling laws introduced online casinos to three US states and New Jersey was among them. The local gambling authority has reported increased profits every month, but it looks like legalizing marijuana might have been an even better move. Only 32% of the respondents were interested in the newly opened market of online casino games.

Legal online gambling, less tempting?

New Jersey residents have waited for years for the opportunity to gamble online, but now that virtual casinos are legal, they seem to have lost their appeal.

“There has been a clear change in direction now that the practice has actually been legalized. Part of the public has always shown deep reluctance to make gambling so accessible in their own homes. Now that it is in fact legal, they may be more concerned than ever,” PublicMind director Krista Jenkins believes.

Last March, 46% of NJ residents were against internet betting but their numbers have grown, reaching 57%. Industry representatives are now concerned with the turn things have taken, but are moving forward with their plans to further develop the online gambling market.