A recent survey has confirmed that almost two out of three (63%) of Illinois residents support legalizing online casinos.

The survey, created by casino bonus and online casino review site BonusFinder.com, asked 1,000 Illinois residents their take regarding legalizing online casinos. The focus group covered voters across a variety of political backgrounds, age groups, and different geos.

Despite online casinos currently being illegal in Illinois, and the only way to access them is illegally, the survey found that one in four residents (26%) admitted to having played at an online casino.

According to a separate analysis, which delved into how much US States could be missing out on in online casino tax revenue, it revealed that Illinois could be missing out on up to $788m. Instead of going to the State, this potential tax money is being funneled to unregulated offshore gambling platforms.

When questioned, hypothetically, how residents would prefer the tax revenue to be spent they prioritized: public education (61.4%), mental health and addiction services (54.8%) and improvements in infrastructure (44%).

Other services that were still important, but less of a priority, to those questioned in the survey were: affordable housing (38%), crime prevention (33.1%), community programs (26.2%) and environmental initiatives (22.7%).

“These findings show that Illinoisans are ready for online casinos, as long as it’s done responsibly,” commented Luciano Passavanti, Vice President at BonusFinder.com.

“The message from voters is clear – they want safe, transparent platforms and strict oversight.

“They also want to know that tax revenue from online casinos will directly benefit their communities; whether that’s through education, healthcare, or local infrastructure.

“Illinois is already a major gaming market. Legalizing online casinos is the next logical step.”

While the majority of voters were in favor (63%), 19% were against legalization and 17.5% remained unsure.

The largest age group supporters of legalizing online casinos was the 45-54 age group, with 68.8% being in favor. However, the age group whose least in favor of legalization remained to be those aged 65 and over – with 51.2% being in favor of legalizing online casinos in Illinois.

The second-largest age group in favor of legalizing iCasinos are those aged 35-44 (64.1%), the third-largest group stood to be those in the 18-34 age bracket with 63.7% of voters supporting legalization.

When it comes to the battle of the sexes, men were found to be significantly more open to the idea of legalization, with 70.5% of men in support. However, in comparison, just 58.3% of women were found to be in support of legalizing online casinos in the State.

Furthermore, a variety of correspondents across different political views were also questioned; with findings revealing that Republican voters were slightly more in favor (65.4%) of legalization compared to Democrat voters (63.3%).

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