Religiosity and support for casinos: an analysis of Ohio’s 2009 referendum

Using a 2009 referendum presented to Ohio voters, we explore county-level support for casino development. Within the median voter framework, we focus our analysis on the association between county religiosity and support for the referendum. We consistently find that higher percentages of evangelicals are associated with lower levels of support for the casino. These effects persist after accounting for prior voting behaviour on similar issues, political affiliation, proximity to the casino, and typical median voter variables including income, age, education, and household characteristics. Outside of religiosity, counties that border the counties proposed to host casinos demonstrated increased support for the casino. Lastly, support for prior attempts to legalize casinos appears sticky.