Some new analysis of the UK problem gambling charity GambleAware has shown that up to 1 million women in the country could be at risk of experiencing gambling-related harm. The revelations came right before the launch of GambleAware’s new campaign that is especially aimed at women and seeks to highlight the most common signs of gambling addiction and encourage female problem gamblers to seek support.
The largest British gambling charity has confirmed that local gambling addicts are mostly male but also noted that the number of women who seek treatment of problem gambling behaviour has doubled over the past five years – from 1,134 in 2015/2016 to 2,423 in 2020/2021. GambleAware also found that two in five women who experience high levels of gambling-related harm may be unwilling to seek professional help or treatment for their gambling addiction because of embarrassment and the social stigma often associated with it.
The warning about the increased levels of gambling among British women also comes at a time when new statistics have shown that online gambling activity of local women increases in the winter months, with a 29% increase in the total average traffic to gambling websites being registered between December and March in comparison to the rest of the year.
Online Gambling Activity of British Women Increases during the Winter Months
The easy access to casino gambling and betting options on the Internet has previously been blamed for the significant rise in female gambling addiction.
According to a study that is expected to be published by the gambling charity organisation later in 2022, 1 million British women are now considered at risk of being affected from harm associated with gambling, with the danger being extremely high during the winter months.
One of the leading experts in female gambling addiction and a problem gambling counsellor in the UK, Liz Karter, explained that gambling behaviour is different in men and women. According to her, the rising popularity of online gambling pushes many females to games that seem to be innocent and more socially acceptable. Apart from that, these games often appear safe and familiar, as they pretty much resemble the free-play digital games that are much popular among Brits. On the other hand, the hopes of generating financial gains could be a powerful motivator, too.
As mentioned above, in order to respond to the constantly increasing need for protecting gamblers, on January 31st, GambleAware rolled out its first-ever gambling harm prevention campaign that was specifically aimed at female gamblers. The campaign aims at making women aware of the critical warning signs of problem gambling and providing them with information about where to seek professional help and support before their gambling habits become dangerous.
As unveiled by GambleAware, the three key warning signs when it comes to identifying whether someone is experiencing gambling-related harm includes keeping gambling habits secret from friends and family members, losing track of time when gambling and spending more than the player can actually afford to.
- Author
Daniel Williams
