Several new studies released this spring shows that the number of female gamblers in UK are increasing. In addition, some women are spending more time and money on their gambling habits than their male counterparts. This increase has followed a general trend during the pandemic of increased gambling habits on the growing online gambling platforms.
Women are spending more and more time in the gambling market. This was confirmed by a recent study released by the UK Gambling Commission. The report states that 42% of the women who participated in the study had gambled within the past 4 weeks, and that women overall have increased their gambling by 8% since 2017. This is largely due to the increased use of online gambling platforms such as Spinsify, that have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Women in their 30s through 50s – most common gamblers
The UKGC report further highlighted that it is mainly women between the ages 35-54 who gamble the most. Their activites are mostly connected to the national lottery but more women are also entering the betting market. Younger women tend to gamble more privately or occasionally with friends, and their main form of gambling is playing the slot machines.
Furthermore, data from NatCen and University of Liverpool indicate that women with accounts on gambling websites tend to spend more money and time on the platforms than their male counterparts.
Differences in gender and gambling
The transition from brick-and-mortar casinos to online gambling platforms is often cited as a more gender inclusive development in the gambling community. Though online gambling has been successful in attracting more women gamblers, there are still large gender disparities within the sector. For example, women tend to gamble more privately and fantasize about winning more, in comparison to men gamblers according to a new study by GambleAware.
The gender disparities also present themselves among problem gamblers. Two in five women report being unwilling to seek help for problem gambling as they fear dealing with stigma and discrimination. This is viewed as concerning, considering data which indicates that women gamble significantly more during the winter months. According to the GambleAware data the months December-March saw a 29% rise in gambling.
General increase in gambling
Gambling institutions worldwide have seen an increase in gambling during the pandemic as more people have been forced to work from home or work less. The constant accessibility of online casinos has provided an easy escape and a way to induce some hope in an otherwise gray lifestyle.
The UK Gambling Committee has found that most types of gambling have increased, from slots and spins to the number of bets. In their calculations, the total number of placed bets and spins was 3.3 billion between Q2 and Q3. They also measured the amount of time people spend on slots and found that the average slot session had increased by 8% from Q2 to Q3 and is now roughly 19 minutes. However, 7% of slot players tend to play for over an hour at a time.
Simultaneously, the UKGC is working hard to prevent problem gambling and are fining companies that try to expose vulnerable and self-excluded players to gambling opportunities.