The gambling industry worldwide is becoming more widespread. It’s starting to reach more people and this includes the female population. Statistics show that the number of female and male gamblers are now almost equal.
According to Studies, Men & Women Gamble Differently
In the UK, of the participants surveyed by the Gambling Commission, 51 percent are male gamblers and 41 percent are women gamblers. What this and other researchers have also found is that men and women have different gambling practices.
All respondents have gambled in the last four months through in-person or land-based casinos or online casino sites like 24kCasino. This includes games like poker, the slot machines, roulette, sports betting, baccarat, and many more.
Apparently, women are more into games of chances like the slot machines and lotteries. Meanwhile, men are more into games of skills like blackjack and poker. However, there are still men and women who are into both forms of gambling.
There is also a difference between both men and women when it comes to how they gamble. Men are more likely to gamble alone in land casinos while women enjoy it more to come with groups.
Men are also likely to be at the casino to show their skills and to beat other players or the dealers. Studies found that women see going to casinos differently. They usually have different purposes when it comes to why they gamble.
Dealing with Gambling Losses
Men and women also appear to react differently when it comes to dealing with gambling losses. There was a study released in Australia regarding this conducted by some researchers from the University of Adelaide, the Swinburne University of Technology, and the Australian Gambling Research Center.
According to their study, men are more likely to display aggression when they lose. They tend to hit the casino table or the slot machine out of frustration. It’s also likely that they get rude to other players or the staff of the casino.
Meanwhile, women deal with losses differently. Female gamblers show more signs of sadness or distress rather than aggression. Part of this is having sad faces, crying, or other body language associated with depression.
The Changing Face of Gambling
Aside from gender, another difference is affecting how both men and women are gambling. Generation differences are also a basis as to how people are now gambling.
Studies have found that more millennials are now gambling compared to their predecessors. Female baby boomers who gamble are the ones who would rather play slot machine games. Meanwhile, females aged 16 to 34 years see slots as something dangerous. These women would rather wager on sports or horse races as they see these gambling practices as low risk.
Why More Women are Starting to Gamble These Days
Overall, both millennial men and women who gamble would still play slots but only of modern varieties. This is why many of them would rather go online as digital casinos are the ones that have the most recent game plays and varieties of hundreds or even thousands of slot machines.
Surely, the rise of mobile technology is what’s really helping the gambling industry to reach more audiences, including females. There are now over 4 billion smartphone users worldwide. That just helps the gambling industry gain more following.
Gambling Problems & Women
When it comes to who is most likely to end up with a gambling problem, it’s still the men, according to a report that the UK Gambling Commission released in 2017. They found out how men are twice as likely to be problem gamblers than women.
Women are still prone to the risks of gambling but it’s mostly the ones that are lonely and bored, according to the research. It also helps that females usually visit the casino in groups as they are less likely to get fixated on gambling when in a casino.
However, there’s new evidence that is going against these findings by the Gambling Commission. A doctoral student from Michigan State University has been conducting research about this.
In 2018, during a conference of the National Council on Problem Gambling, Malkin stated that it’s the women who are more likely to have gambling-related problems.
According to Malkin, “Men start gambling at an earlier age than women and (possibly) gamble more than women. However, women are more likely to develop gambling problems. Researchers have repeatedly shown that although women’s gambling careers start later and therefore shorter, they cross into gambling problems quicker than men.”
Malkin also said that men are more likely to embezzle money to pay for gambling debts. The women are more likely to swipe their cards and end up having more debts and even max out their credit. Malkin’s research hasn’t been proven yet but for now, it is a controversial opinion that could change how researchers go about into this matter.
About the Author:
Ajeet Singh has done Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has extensive experience in community management, social media consultancy, child safety, and crisis management.
Anika Sachdev is a freelance writer, who writes about fashion and lifestyle. She is currently pursuing her diploma in Fashion Design from iNIFD. She enjoys styling, making fashion illustrations and is a big fan of the work of Coco Chanel. Based in Mumbai, she likes to draw and listen to Bollywood music in her free time. For any questions, feedback or concerns, please email [email protected].
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