SPRINGFIELD — Massachusetts adults still indicate they support casinos, but not in their own community, a telephone survey by the Western New England University Polling Institute found.

The survey of 477 adults, conducted March 31 to April 7, found that 59 percent said they supported establishing casinos in the state, while 34 percent opposed and seven percent were undecided or declined to answer.

But a majority — 55 percent — said they opposed having a casino in their community. Forty-two percent said they supported having a local casino.

These results, with a 4.5 percentage-point margin of error, are statistically unchanged from a similar survey conducted by the Polling Institute in November. The previous survey found 61 percent supported casinos, while 33 percent opposed.

However, among the 18 percent of registered voters in the survey who said they felt very strongly about the issue, 57 percent opposed establishing casinos and only 40 percent supported the idea.

"Among voters who view this issue as very important to them personally, opposition is much higher and support is much lower compared to the entire sample," Timothy Vercellotti, director of the Polling Institute and a professor of political science, said in news release.

"These individuals may be more motivated to organize and get out the vote if the casino question (to repeal the law legalizing casino gambling) appears on the ballot in the fall."

A ballot question to repeal the casino law was rejected last fall by Attorney General Martha Coakley on the grounds that it represented an unconstitutional taking of property.

The rejection is being challenged in the state Supreme Judicial Court.

"If the court permits the question to go before the voters, then developers and citizen groups would likely shift into campaign mode," Mr. Vercellotti said.

"We could see voters’ attitudes, interest and motivation shift as they might in any political campaign."

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