Exclusive AJC poll: Georgians back casino gambling

A strong majority of Georgians support legalizing casino gambling in Georgia, a new poll by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found.

The poll of registered voters taken this week found 62 percent support the idea, including majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents.

The poll, conducted by Abt SRBI, has a margin of error 4.2 percentage points.

Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, last year proposed a constitutional amendment allowing for up to six casinos across the state. Supporters say the idea would boost state tax coffers and that the revenue would help prop up the lottery-funded HOPE scholarship. Casino operators have proposed a 20 percent tax on casino profits.

Despite the numbers, the proposal faces steep odds. Gov. Nathan Deal has been adamant against the idea, although his signature is not necessary to put the question on the ballot in November.

Look for more coverage of this issue and the AJC poll this weekend on myajc.com.

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Aaron Gould Sheinin

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Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com