A recent study by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has shown the levels of women that are gamblers. It revealed that 42% of women had gambled in some way in the previous four weeks. The most popular methods being playing the National Lottery, scratchcards and bingo.
Playing the National Lottery draws, whether it be Lotto, Set for Life or EuroMillions has long been popular with female gamblers. The UKGC say that “lotteries are universally popular” with all age-ranges. However, there seems to be a trend though to women going online to play the games rather than pop down the local supermarket.
Of women over the age of 35, the period 2017-2021 has seen an 8% increase in online gambling. The UKGC commented that “we also know that online gambling is becoming increasingly popular amongst women of all ages”.
The study found that women aged 35 to 54 were the most likely to be gambling. 32% of females in that age group had been gambling in some form.
Younger females tend to bet place private bets within their group of friends. They are also more likely to be found down the local amusement arcades and gaming centres playing fruit and slot machines.
Do women gamble in a safer way than their male counterparts? It appears so with the study finding that the problem gambling and low risk rates are 0.2% for women, compared to 0.9% for men. When it comes to moderate risk, the rate for females is 1.4% which is more or less equal with men.
How do women feel about the fact that they gamble? The study found that they aren’t totally happy with the fact. That opinion was summed up by one respondent who said that they had a “love hate relationship with gambling.” It’s a case of balancing the risk associated with gambling and the entertainment value it has.
The UKGC have been concerned about “the suitability of the tools that are being used to accurately measure and identify female problem gamblers.” The concern is that they “may not be as effective” for female gamblers as they are for male players.
They consider this “a really important area” that the UKGC are “working better to understand.” Further research will be carried out into just how gambling can impact the wellbeing, finances, and mental health of female players. Another area that has to be looked at is how women also experience harm because of the gambling problems of someone they know.
The UKGC say that they will continue to study “on a continuous basis” the gambling behaviour of women with an increase in the numbers interviewed.
January of this year saw GambleAware launch a new campaign. They had identified that up to a million female players could be at risk of suffering gambling-related harm in some way.
