Residents are split on whether the casino at Arundel Mills mall should be a referendum question, according to results of a new poll released yesterday.

The poll found an even proportion of residents supported and opposed the petition drive aimed at overturning zoning for the controversial 4,750-slot-machine gambling venue near the Hanover mall.

The question was among a dozen topics put to 640 residents in the semiannual survey from the Center for the Study of Local Issues at Anne Arundel Community College.

Dan Nataf, president of the center and a political science professor at the college, said opinions on the petition...