Poll: Alabama voters oppose video gambling

Tuesday, March 21, 2000 | 4:50 a.m.

A survey commissioned by the Christian Coalition of Alabama found that 56 percent of Alabamians opposed allowing video poker at the state's dog tracks. Another 30 percent of the 600 people polled were in favor of it and 14 percent were undecided.

The survey was conducted March 13-14 by Marketing Research Institute. It had a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.

Bills pending in the Senate would allow citizens in Macon and Greene counties to vote on allowing video gambling at dog tracks in their counties. The tracks have blanketed the state with TV ads supporting the bills, while the Christian Coalition has run ads against the legislation.

"We just wanted to give legislators ammunition to vote 'no' on this thing," said Christian Coalition President John Giles. "There's a lot of pressure on them."

Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed strongly felt the issue should be decided by a statewide referendum not local elections, compared to 36 percent who felt it should be local. Seven percent were undecided.

"I don't see any way it would pass" in a statewide vote, said MRI President Verne Kennedy.

Rick Heartsill, a spokesman for the dog tracks, questioned the poll results and said he thinks most Alabamians believe the communities with dog tracks should be allowed to vote.

"These are cook numbers, done by hired guns, paid for with Mississippi casino money, nothing more, nothing less," Heartsill said in a statement.