Poll: Fewer women than men want NY casinos

Casino gambling in New York has less support among women than men, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

While half of registered voters support a constitutional amendment to allow Las Vegas-style casinos to operate, 47 percent of women oppose it while 44 percent are in favor. Men, on the other hand, support it 56 percent to 38 percent.

"There's a gender gap on everything," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "The way opponents pose that issue is that it would encourage people who shouldn't gamble to gamble and that's the kind of thing that will find more sympathy among women than men."

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has pushed for the amendment, which would need to pass the legislature in two consecutive years before being brought to the voters. Cuomo continues to enjoy high marks with 69 percent of respondents saying they approve of the job he's doing and 19 percent saying they disapprove, according to the poll.

The divided State Legislature -- Republicans narrowly control the Senate while the Assembly is firmly Democratic -- is preferred by more New Yorkers to the alternative of one party control. None of the scenarios garner a majority, but 41 percent prefer a split legislature compared with 31 percent who prefer Democratic control and 21 percent prefer Republican control.

The researchers surveyed 1,233 New York voters from Feb. 8 to Feb. 13.