Online Gambling and Women
7th April, 2009
During the hard economic times, businesses are trying desperately to appeal to all markets. The online gambling industry is no different.
In the vast range of products available on online gambling it seems women have been neglected by many. Figures show that women represent just 5% of customers betting online, only 20% of customers playing online casino games, and less than 10% play online poker in the UK.
Online gambling with high female participation however, like bingo, lottery, and slots, backs up these stereotypes. While men reportedly gamble for the exhilaration and to beat an opponent, women are said to enjoy the social interaction and escapism.
However, according to David Gilbert, client services director at TBG, the online gambling industry could be fulfilling its potential as recent Comscore data showed that 43% of the online gambling community was female.
Simon Collins, the chief executive of Foxy Bingo’s parent company Cashcade, stated that while he agreed with the stereotypes to some extent, in that “online bingo was mainly dominated by women, Foxy Bingo has built up a “not insubstantial” male audience along the way, challenging the deep-seated preconceptions about male and female betting behaviour outlined in online gambling demographic research.”
By Rommon
