According to Senior Vice-President Richard Leigh Bennett:

“While it appears there is some disagreement over whether this is a good idea or not, Approximately one-third of Canadians support the idea that single game sports betting should be allowed in Canada. Nationally, 35% agree with the idea single game sports betting should be allowed, while one in four (25%) said they were neither in favour of it nor against it.

• Approximately one-third of Canadians support the idea that single game sports betting should be allowed in Canada. Nationally, 35% agree with the idea single game sports betting should be allowed, while one in four (25%) said they were neither in favour of it nor against it.
• Support is highest in Ontario and the Prairies where hockey, baseball, and football are widely popular and where parlay sports betting is most popular. Naturally it follows that younger men are most in favour of this type of wagering.
• Internet gambling, which is already allowed in several provinces in Canada, only gathers support from one-quarter of Canadians (25%) while a majority of Canadians are against it (52%).
• Few are aware of a Bill before Parliament that would legalize betting in Canada on the outcome of single game sports events. Just 14% could clearly or vaguely recall hearing about this Bill, while 84% could not recall the Bill. In Ontario, 20% recall this Bill.
• More than four in ten would support legalizing betting on single game sports events. Nationally, 42% express this view, while 46% would oppose legalizing this type of betting. A further 7% neither support nor oppose such a law.
• Support for legalizing single game sports betting is highest in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, among younger Canadians, and those with higher incomes.
• When it comes to specific gambling activities, purchasing a lottery ticket is the most common. When asked which activities they have participated in during the past year, 67% say they have bought a lottery ticket, 27% have visited a casino, 17% have made a wager for money with a friend or colleague, 11% played an electronic gaming device or VLT, 6% bet on the outcome of a sports event through a government run lottery, and 2% placed a bet through the internet.

Each week, Harris/Decima interviews just over 1000 Canadians through teleVox, the company’s national telephone omnibus survey. The most recent data were gathered between March 1 and March 4, 2012. A sample of the same size has a margin of error of 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.