A new poll conducted by the Stillman School of Business at the Seton Hall University revealed that the majority of people surveyed don’t want to start attending a live sporting event without a COVID-19 vaccine.

Respondents don’t feel safe

The survey brought responses from 762 participants together of which 72% suggested that they will not be comfortable attending live sports if the COVID-19 vaccine is not discovered. About 61% said that they wouldn’t attend the games without vaccines. Another 12% suggested that they would like to become a live audience in live events but only if social distancing measures are taken seriously.

The poll suggests the kind of paranoia and fear that has gripped the American public in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. This could be a warning sign for all sporting events that have postponed their season but want to restart. This could significantly impact the number of people attending events whenever they resume. At least 46% of respondents are not sure if sporting events will be back by the end of this year.

Sports will remain affected

The poll suggests that sports will be one of the most affected sectors this year, even though President Donald Trump suggests that the NFL would be able to begin their season on time. The time at which sports will return to the US will depend on the vaccine. Health experts suggest that the vaccine may not be available before 2021. There is widespread support for conducting sporting events without a live audience.

About 76% of the survey respondents support the idea of sports without an audience. The survey also reveals that 46% of respondents believe that sports will be suspended throughout the year. This could bring devastating results for sports as well as the legalized sports betting industry. Less than two dozen states have recently legalized sports betting and several others had sports betting bills pending in the legislature. Now the industry is facing a double whammy of lack of adequate regulatory structure and absence of sporting events.

Sportsbook around the US has come to a screeching halt after showing some great potential in recent months. The American Gaming Association (AGA) suggests that the industry could lose $43.5 billion in upcoming months.