21.5 million women visited Las Vegas in 2016. This number has only grown since then. As gambling grows more mainstream, thanks mainly to online casinos like Betway, more women are discovering the thrill of betting. This development is democratizing igaming and creating more agency for female bettors, even as providers rush to make gambling more women-friendly.
In this post, we look at some of the changes the industry has made and how women are changing casino gambling as we used to know it.
Changing demographics
More women are playing casino games now than ever before. While previously a male-dominated field, gambling has expanded in recent years to include more women. This is mainly due to online casinos making gambling more accessible and convenient. Women comprise 47 percent of gamblers in top online casinos like Betway and sportsbooks. According to the same survey, this figure was only 28 percent in 2017, indicating shifting demographics in igaming.
The rise of responsible and social gaming
Contrary to popular belief, women don’t want separate sportsbooks and online casinos. They want the existing platforms to adjust a little to their needs. According to customer surveys, women like their gambling to be responsible and social. Many online casinos that have added responsible gambling tools and social features to their platforms have done so in direct response to the wants of female players. But these features benefit everyone because now online gambling is more social and risk-conscious.
Changes in marketing
Just as women aren’t attracted to high-risk, individualized gambling, they also don’t respond to hyper-sexualized, super-competitive advertising. This is how casinos reach male audiences, and it has worked for a long time. Take a Las Vegas scene casino, add two alpha males battling for a large pot, and add in some whisky and a few sexy women, and the typical casino ad is complete.
But when it comes to attracting female audiences, surveys show that entertainment and social features win out over sex and risk. Female players like to be entertained, and this is changing how online casinos market themselves. While there hasn’t been a complete change in tone, more brands are taking on a more gender-neutral approach in their ads.
More women in corporate igaming
It’s hardly an evolving field if women are not involved in the decision-making. Another area of igaming that’s changing because of women’s growing interest in gambling is corporate and management. More and more women are pursuing careers in the casino and online casino fields, with some, like Bet365 CEO Denise Coates, leading from the front. The presence of women in these high positions is helping to shape the entire industry into a more gender-balanced space. There has even been increased focus on women’s sports, especially during the Olympics.
Wrapping up: Towards a more balanced industry
Variety is the spice of life, and adding women’s input into the gambling industry can only be good. If operators like Betway keep finding ways to accommodate female bettors, what we end up with is more betting markets, social features, responsible gaming initiatives, and sports to bet on. This can only be good for an industry whose primary purpose is entertainment.
