Back in the day, if you were to ever take a quick glance at any sporting event, the chances are that everyone in attendance was male. These days, you’re more likely to see a shift in balance when it comes to the two genders, and the same can also be said for the gambling world, which was dominated by men for so many decades. According to a recent studies, 56.2% of men said that they had gambled online in the past month, while 43.8% of women had also done the same. Today, women are no strangers to gambling at all, and have even boasted a number one ranking Global Poker Index player, Vanessa Selbst. We have taken a look at some of the differences in gambling habits between men and women:

Online Gambling

When it comes to online gambling, men and women have their own unique preferences. The vast majority of men tend to prefer betting on sports such as horse racing, football and boxing, while women are more into playing bingo and slot machines. That’s not to say that women don’t often try their hand at sports betting, as this number is steadily increasing year by year. A lot of women like to gamble with games that don’t require much skill, whereas men tend to sway towards the skill based games such as blackjack or poker.

Taking Risks

Just like in real life, men tend to take greater risks than women when they gamble, such as in the case of horse racing bets. One survey asked 500 men and 500 women what they would do if they won £500, and the results showed that only 72.3% of women would cash in on their winnings, while only 61% of men would do the same. Younger men in particular are more likely to reinvest their earnings, but sometimes a woman’s pragmatic approach is a safer bet! Typically, most women start gambling once they reach their 30’s, which can explain their more calculated approach. Men on the other hand, are likely to dabble from their early 20’s and onwards.

Locations

As it is mostly men who do sports betting, it’s no surprise that the makeup of bookmakers are overwhelmingly male. Aside from the bookies, females and males have similar tendencies to where they gamble. Both sexes tend to gamble while they’re in the bathroom while nature takes its course, but shockingly, men are more likely to gamble on their smartphone at a family event such as a wedding or a funeral!

Spending

Men are by far and away the biggest spenders when they gamble, and this is clearly linked to their propensity to take risks. There are double the amount of men who spend at least £500 on gambling each week when compared to females. This is probably because a large proportion of women see gambling as a form of escapism and a way to have fun, whereas many men gamble seriously for profit. Studies show that women prefer to spend longer gambling and spend less money because they regard it as something more relaxing and therapeutic.