A recent study by the UK gambling regulatory body revealed that the popularity of online gambling has risen among women. According to the results of the study, 42% of the British women have taken part in some form of gambling over the past 4 weeks at the time when the survey was held.
As the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealed, the National Lottery was the most popular form of gambling among female customers in the UK. Bingo and scratch cards were also included in the mix. However, the trend of online lottery services has recently increased and female gamblers, especially the ones over the age of 35, have started to participate in other forms of online gambling available.
The gambling watchdog shared that women of all ages are becoming more and more interested in online gambling services, but the most active group of female gamblers is the one between the age of 35 and 54, with 32% of these customers likely to take part in digitally offered gambling activity. In addition, the online gambling rate of female gamblers between 35 and 54 years of age has increased by 8% in the period from 2017 to 2021. Younger women, on the other hand, tend to bet more privately.
As revealed by a recent study held by the local gambling charity GambleAware, up to 1 million British females could be exposed to the risk of gambling-related harm, as the number of participants at online bingo and casino gambling platforms increased over the winter months. According to the gambling charity reports, online gambling activity increases by around 29% in the period from December to March.
Apart from that, GambleAware found that most female gamblers do not seek professional treatment in case of problem gambling behaviour, with 2 out of 5 women unwilling to do so because they fear social stigma and embarrassment.
Risk of Developing Gambling Addiction Lower among UK Women than Men
According to the UK female gambling addiction expert Liz Karter, problem gambling of men and women manifests differently. Ms Karter further noted that the hopes of generating fast and easy financial gain could be a key motivator for many gamblers, regardless of their gender.
The UK Gambling Commission, on the other hand, revealed that, among women, the risk of developing gambling addiction is between 0.2% and 0.9%, while among men the figure stands at 1.4%. In response to the findings of GambleAware’s study, the country’s gambling watchdog stated that it will hold further research into the effects of gambling on female users’ mental health. The UKGC also said that the survey is planned to be conducted on a frequent basis.
Data provided by YouGov in the middle of 2021 showed that almost three-fourths of British women (72%) are likely to purchase lottery tickets, while for men the rate is 58%. Furthermore, female gamblers were found to be fonder of playing keno or bingo online – 6% for women in comparison to 2% for men – but men are more interested in betting on sports, as 45% of them would place wagers on sports, whereas that number for women is less than 25%.
The data also shows that about 28% of the British women who have participated in gambling in the year up to 2021 are more likely to say that “fantasizing about winning” has been their main motive for doing so, in comparison to 21% of men.
- Author
Daniel Williams
