Between December 22, 1996 and February 13, 1997, we surveyed all 1996 WAGER subscribers (n=438). The response rate for this survey was 51.1%; therefore, the data is informative but not fully representative. The survey included questions about subscriber’s satisfaction with The WAGER content and presentation, access to computers and on-line technology, and demographic information. The results demonstrate that WAGER subscribers represent a broad range of work fields and primary activities. The highest percentage of respondents reported that their primary activities were in the fields of substance abuse, education, research, and clinical work. Over half the respondents (57.5%) reported holding a neutral position towards gambling, while 11.9% approved of gambling and 30.6% opposed gambling. While 438 subscribers receive The WAGER each week, 57.8% make copies for others. Consequently, an average of 2044 issues are read each week. Sixty-two percent (62.3%) of respondents had read the source(s) of less than a quarter of WAGER issues prior to receiving The WAGER. The same percentage had found and read a quarter of source articles after receiving The WAGER. This implies that The WAGER serves as the only source of gambling research information for many WAGER subscribers. Only 1 individual reported that the reason for not reading all WAGER issues was because he or she felt “it was biased.” A large majority of subscribers were satisfied (somewhat or very) with the content and topic areas covered by The WAGER (93.2%) and by the presentation and clarity of The WAGER (94.1%).
Source: *The WAGER. (1997). [The WAGER 1996 subscriber survey results]. Unpublished raw data.
This public education project is funded, in part, by The Andrews Foundation.