Women in Gambling

Introduction

For centuries, several popular activities have been divided along gender lines, and gambling is not exempt. The act has remained highly male-populated for a long time now, but recent statistical evidence suggests that balancing is on the way. This article will explore much of these recent research findings and paint an exact picture of what female gambling looks like in Ireland and across the globe. Online casino enthusiasts in Ireland – whether male or female – can enjoy more insightful gambling pieces, including thorough reviews of the best Irish casinos sites and bonuses available. 

The Rise of Female Gamblers

There are no prizes for guessing just how frequently women gambled compared to men two decades ago. For a long time, the masculine gender remained the more predominant force across a raft of gambling forms – brick-and-mortar casino gaming, online casinos, sports betting, and horse race betting. However, as the industry has grown more popular, female gambling has begun to close up to its male counterpart. A 2018 study on the Irish gambling scene revealed the industry to be worth somewhere in the region of €8bn. That figure soared to an estimated €10bn the following year. These ever-rising numbers have been founded on the greater accessibility that technological innovations have introduced to the act of gambling. 

Women can now access the best online casinos in Ireland from the comfort of their homes, and it’s starting to show in the percentage of women who take part in gambling. A 2019 study of the gender percentages of Irish gamblers revealed that in a gender-balanced sample, the likelihood of a man to have gambled within the previous 12 months stood at 70.5%. There was a 64.1% chance for a female to have gambled within that same period. These figures still indicate that men are still more likely to gamble than women, but they also show that the gap between genders (6%) is not as comprehensive as in earlier studies (10% and above). The rise of female gamblers owes a lot to the advent of online casinos; several online gaming sites have reported that a significant amount of their monthly customers are females. 

What Kind of Gamblers are Women?

The UK Gaming Commission surveyed a sample space of male and female participants and found that apart from the difference in the percentage of men and women who gambled, there was also a difference in the method both genders gambled with. The first manifestation of this latter difference came in the type of games that women preferred to play and has been backed up by some other studies carried out on the Irish gambling industry. These researches have revealed that women take a less risky approach to gambling, preferring to spend their time playing on machines that extend their playing times without having them spend too much money. 

Further studies on this subject have also shown that women differ significantly from men in how they react to losses made as they gamble. According to an Australian study carried out by the University of Adelaide, men tend to display more energetic reactions to the outcome of their gambling, including common outbursts of aggression. On the other hand, female gamblers reacted to losses in a more subtle and less jarring way. Most women show signs of distress as opposed to displaying any form of aggression after losing. 

Predicting the Future of World Gambling

There’s quite a bit of excitement surrounding the future possibilities of global gambling, primarily founded on the activity’s meteoric surge in popularity in recent times. In Ireland alone, the gambling industry consists of 10,000 gaming machines, 1100 bookmaker shops, and dozens of online gaming sites. In 2019 alone, an estimated €10bn was spent on gambling in Ireland. This annual spend was spread across online casino gaming, sports betting, horse racing, scratch cards, and lottery draws. Experts predict that by 2023, world gambling will be worth around €100bn, with online betting expected to be the headline driver for this exponential growth. Forecasts have also predicted that at least 70% of people aged between 21 – 40 will participate in some form of gambling activity by that time. 

Most Popular Online Gambling Games Among Women

Studies reveal that, compared to men, women have a greater tendency to stick to games of chance when they gamble. When a man visits a casino, he generally looks to play the game with the lowest house edge, the one where he can use his skills to put together a strategy that stands him a good chance of winning. With female gamblers, there appears to be an inclination towards games that do not require significant concentration levels. A recent survey has also indicated that more women have a preference for social gaming over the individual type. Some of the most popular online gambling options among women are:

• Slots: On a gender-neutral scale, online slots are easily the most popular option for gamblers in Ireland, so it adds up that female gamblers opt for them more than any other game. Surveys indicate that women are more likely to opt for online slots with central female characters and captivating storylines, with win percentages coming in third on the factors they look out for. 
• Roulette: Roulette is another online game that is pretty popular among women. Online European Roulette and Live Dealer Roulette offer a unique blend of class and simplicity that most female gamblers find attractive. 
• Bingo: Bingo can often come across as an old-fashioned game that’s only pleasing to old-timers, but the introduction of online bingo has gone some way to changing that narrative. This game delivers a social experience enough to convince female gamblers to pitch their rent with it. 

Conclusion 

The amount of research done on the subject is one factor that should give you a clue as to the levels of popularity that female gambling has attained. As technology and innovations advance, gambling will continue to become a vastly more thrilling and easily accessible activity. And in turn, it’d become even more appealing to female gamblers. The male-dominated era of the industry is well and truly on the way out.