New Poll Questions Support For Canterbury Park Racino

St. Paul, MN - Results from a new statewide poll released today shows that Minnesotans think the Canterbury Park Racino proposal may not be such a good bet after all. Most Minnesotans seem to be under the false impression that revenue from the racino will help greatly reduce the state's $4.2 billion budget deficit. According to the poll, 53 percent of respondents significantly overestimate the racino's financial impact to the state. Twenty-four percent believe it will offset 20 percent or more of the budget deficit. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they were less likely to support the racino when they learned it would address only two percent of the deficit. "By positioning the racino proposal as a solution to the state's fiscal problems, recent polls are not getting an accurate picture of what people really think about allowing 2,000 slot machines at Canterbury Park," said Al Childs, council member for the Prairie Island Indian Community. "When people consider the Canterbury proposal on its own there's clearly less support for it and in certain contexts more people oppose it outright." According to the poll, 73 percent of Minnesotans would be less inclined to support the racino if they knew Canterbury's owners could sell to a Las Vegas interest group at any time; 67 percent would be less inclined if the racino would result in layoffs in rural areas; 59 percent would be less inclined if Canterbury Park's investors earn millions of dollars as a direct result of the Legislature's actions. After considering these impacts, strong support for the racino declined from 31 to 25 percent; strong opposition increased from 21 to 27 percent; net support/opposition for the racino is virtually even with 51 percent for and 46 percent against. The telephone survey was conducted May 7-12, 2003, by research firm Ipsos-Public Affairs on behalf of the Prairie Island Indian Community. The participants were contacted via telephone; the results have a margin of error of +/- 4 percent (600 respondents). For more information please contact: Jake Reint Weber Shandwick (952) 346-6190