Women in the Online Casino Area: Reasons for Popularity.

For a long time, gambling was seen as a male-dominated pastime, but this has begun to change in recent years. It is now estimated that almost half of US women engage in gambling of some kind at least once in a four-week period. Let’s take a look at what has contributed to the rising popularity of gambling for women.

Battling Stereotypes

One of the greatest obstacles for women and their endeavors throughout history has been gender stereotypes and sexism. Society has stubborn ideas on what a woman should and shouldn’t do, and for a long time, gambling was seen as an ‘unacceptable’ pastime for women. Though major steps have been made in recent years to work towards gender equality in all sectors, false stereotypes still exist. However, the more women fight back against these ideas and continue doing the things they enjoy, despite societal expectations, the more we see a rise in the popularity of these previously male-dominated areas, and this has certainly been the case for female gamblers. Women who engage in these hobbies, and who see other women doing the same, and succeeding, is sure to lead to a sense of empowerment for women interested in online gambling themselves.

Online Casinos Vs Traditional Casinos

As stated, casinos are still a majorly male-dominated area. For many women, this can cause hesitation when considering visiting a brick-and-mortar casino. Although traditional casinos are seeing an increase in female footfall, and also employing more female managerial staff (25% in 2021) most people in these casinos are men. This can be a challenge for some female individuals for various reasons, which is why many are turning to online casinos, where they can play in the comfort of their own homes. Not only that, but online casinos also offer more ease and accessibility to all users than traditional brick-and-mortar casinos. They can be more efficient in helping people gain a work-life balance. It is also easier to cash in winnings with the fastest paying online casinos, and the many no-account casinos allow for increased anonymity and security. All of which are contributing factors to the rising popularity of online casinos for women.

Employment of Women

Another factor that is leading to the rise of women participating in online casino games is the move to employ more women in high managerial roles. For example, the CEO of the popular gambling platform Bet365 is a woman named Denise Coats. Women in such positions of power, not only empower other women to battle gender stereotypes in pursuit of both their careers and hobbies but also help normalize the presence of women in these industries. Such progress will undoubtedly affect the overall societal attitudes towards women engaging in gambling, and help battle the discrimination many face.

Moving Forward

There are countless things, both on an individual and a business level, that can be done to open up the world of casinos, both traditional and online, to women. However, as the businesses make these positive changes, individual changes will soon follow as societal attitudes change.

Firstly, by employing more women in these managerial roles, women in the casino sector will become gradually more normalized. This can be done through mentorship programs for women in employment as well as up-to-date harassment policies that will enable women to feel safe in the workplace. Flexibility will also benefit this, with employees having clear policies regarding parental leave and flexible working arrangements for parents. A lot of online casino sites enable their staff to work remotely, which is a great way to foster this supportive environment.