Poll: Americans fear sports betting is threatening the integrity of games

A strong majority of Americans fear that the proliferation of sports betting is damaging the integrity of games and could even lead to contests being rigged, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey

A strong majority of Americans fear that the proliferation of sports betting is damaging the integrity of games and could even lead to contests being rigged, according to a new NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey.

When asked if sports gambling "lessens the integrity of the game," 70% agreed, with 34% saying they "strongly agree" and another 36% saying they "somewhat agree," according to the poll.

And when asked if the increasing availability of sports gambling "will lead to games being fixed or rigged," 29% said they were "very concerned" and another 34% called themselves "somewhat concerned."

The poll was conducted Nov. 20 to Dec. 8 — within weeks of major sports gambling scandals that have rocked professional basketball and baseball.

NBA journeyman Terry Rozier was arrested on Oct. 23 and accused of conspiring with gamblers to provide inside information for bets on his individual performance.