Most Icelanders Against Legalising Casinos

The vast majority of Icelanders are against a recent proposal to legalise casinos, although that opposition has decreased slightly in the few past years.

According to a poll from Market and Media Research, 68.6% of Icelanders are either very opposed or rather opposed to the idea of a casino in Iceland. Those very opposed decreased from 47.5% to 40.1% in July 2011, while at the same time, those rather opposed increased from 21.8% to 28.5%.

This opposition was not universal across all demographics. Most men aged 18 to 29 or 30 to 49 were in favour of a casino. Apart from that, not even income level was enough to change most Icelanders’ minds on the subject.

As reported, Progressive MP Willum Þór Þórsson has again submitted a bill to parliament which, if passed, would legalise gambling in Iceland. Last April, Willum told reporters that he was first introduced to the idea by footballer Arnar Gunnlaugsson. Arnar and his brother, Bjarki, have long touted the legalisation of gambling in Iceland.

Willum told reporters at the time that he received a report on legalised gambling in 2009, as well as the draft for a bill that was actually a translation of the legalised gambling law in Denmark. In fact, this report was created by lawyer and former Social Democrat MP Lúðvík Bergvinsson at the behest of the Gunnlaugsson brothers.