“The poll shows sentiment, but not the vote,” said

“The poll shows sentiment, but not the vote,” said Billy Sublett, political director of Virginians for the Lottery. “Remember what happens when you have a large vocal minority.”

Parimutuel betting looked like a runaway winner nine years ago, but it was stopped by an unexpected surge of conservative voters urged to the polls by their ministers.

A Times-Dispatch poll in September 1978 showed Virginians favoring parimutuel betting, 54 percent to 33 percent.

And as with horserace gambling, lottery foes believe that they have an advantage in what Gregson labeled the “strength of emotion. ”

Lottery supporters fear that evidence of widespread support will diminish voter interest in the issue.

The lottery’s strongest support is in voterich Northern and eastern Virginia, at 74 percent and 66 percent, respectively. The lowest level of support, 61 percent, was recorded in the Shenandoah Valley.

Middle-income voters show the greatest enthusiasm for the lottery. More than 70 percent of those with a family income last year of $20,000 to $34,999 want a state-run numbers game.

The poll also showed that the lottery is backed by roughly two out of three respondents in the other income brackets — under $20,000; $35,000to $49,999; and $50,000 or more.

Support by gender generally mirrors the overall figures: Men favor the lottery nearly 70 percent to 23 percent, and women back it in a ratio of 63 percent to 33 percent.

White voters favor the lottery by better than 2-to-l. Black voters support the lottery 71 percent to 28 percent.

The poll suggests that Catholic and Jewish voters solidly favor a lottery. Protestant voters, who comprise the bulk of respondents, support the lottery, 62 percent to 32 percent.

Young voters, ages 18-24, favor a lottery by more than an 8-to-l in the poll.