Does the betting world skew male? Inside the industry’s growing gender imbalance

The betting and gambling world has grown at a rapid pace over the last few years, with technology making it easier than ever to access sports and casino operations online.

While the industry is gaining major traction, some studies suggest that men are more likely to be identified as problem gamblers than women. There appears to be some disparity, with reports suggesting it could be due to a number of factors, including psychological and societal norms.

The latest at Young Men Research Initiative: @YalePolling 's own @milansingh03 on the stark gender divide between young men and young women on gambling. Young men gamble more (and thus, lose more money) but are also more opposed to gambling regulations.https://t.co/5RmQIf5d1d

— JR (@johnlray) December 1, 2025

We’re looking at whether the betting world skews male, if there’s still a gender gap, and whether these statistics are starting to change.

Is there a gender gap in the betting world?

There is a public perception that gambling is largely male-dominated, but the actual statistics go against societal opinions in some areas.

In England, a health survey found that men (57%) were more likely than women (51%) to have participated in a gambling activity in the last 12 months, but the margins aren’t substantial.

Women face unique challenges with gambling, including higher risks of experiencing gambling-related harms.

Listen as #BiancaColclough, an expert by experience, shares her story.

There is support and treatment for everyone. We can help. pic.twitter.com/hcWSrHFCKn

— GambleAware (@gambleawaregb) September 4, 2024

There is a question, however, as to whether gambling operators focus more on men in marketing than on women, which would lean into the social perception that men are more likely to be interested in the sector. A study by the University of Bristol found that a huge 98% of all people featured in social media-based gambling adverts were males, with 79% being aged 18-34.

Operators have long focused their marketing on young men because they tend to be the most active sports bettors, which creates a kind of loop where ads feature men and the audience ends up being mostly men too.

But regulators are paying closer attention to how gambling is promoted, especially when ads might appeal to vulnerable groups, so companies are starting to rethink their approach.

At the same time, there is a gradual move toward more gender-neutral and women-focused campaigns as the industry realises there is an audience it has largely ignored, although these kinds of ads are still far less common than the traditional male-centric ones. While every company will be different, this significant statistic could potentially hint at the industry’s target audience.

A community of women gamblers is bubbling

While it has often been declared as a man’s world, women are becoming more prominent within the industry. We spoke with Val C. Martinez, founder of Betting Ladies, who explained how there wasn’t anything for women in betting when she first launched her community-like site: “But slowly and surely, we started to see companies like FanDuel and others talking about how to best connect with a female audience.

“Since then, there’s been increased focus on expanding into women’s sports, which has attracted more women to betting.”

She described how there was the ‘Taylor Swift moment‘ which “helped increase awareness around the female demographic, and suddenly it was obvious there was a way to speak to women about sports that could unlock a previously untapped market.”

While she says the gap is still there, Val shares why people are joining her women-based brand – “…we’re filling that void. Women like to connect with other women who bet, and right now we’re one of the very few places online where this can happen.”

Do men and women bet differently?

Problem gambling has now become a prominent topic within the media, with stories of men struggling being more commonplace. Matt Bresler, CEO and cofounder of Odditt, suggests there are some differences in the way men and women gamble: “Women are definitely more risk-averse than men, and tend to be less emotional than men when it comes to sports betting…”

The CEO continued to expand on the possible impact of the differences: “This means less chasing of losses, and more controlled sports betting habits overall, as the rates of problem gambling amongst men and women clearly show.” Although he highlighted how older female gamblers participate in social forms of gambling such as bingo at higher rates than their male counterparts, he shared how the “social and longstanding tradition of playing bingo in the US” has “much less of an associated taboo than with the much newer sports betting.”

Different types of gambling also attract different demographics, which adds nuance to the gender gap. Sports betting remains the most male-dominated space, fueled by sports culture and marketing that historically targets young men. Casino table games and online slots tend to draw a more mixed audience, while both online and in traditional bingo continues to skew female due to its social, community-based nature.

Meanwhile, fantasy sports and daily fantasy leagues sit closer to sports betting in their gender profile, with participation dominated by younger men. It’s also important to note that age, income, and ethnicity can shape gambling behavior and risk just as strongly as gender, which means any discussion of a “gender gap” only captures part of a more complex picture.

These product-specific differences matter, as each carries its own pace, risk level, and potential for harm, shaping how men and women experience gambling overall.

Why young men are becoming the most at-risk group

The reasons why men are falling victim to the perils of gambling could be due to a few factors, with Dr Robert Lefever telling the BBC that men’s personality traits make them much more likely to become problem gamblers.

When describing why he believes this to be the case, he argued that men tend to be more hedonistic than women. “Men are generally greater risk takers than women, they tend to be rather proud of it,” he told the broadcaster.

Another expert, Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, told the publisher that there is research that suggests that more impulsive people have also proven to be men. While some experts attribute these patterns to inherent personality differences, researchers caution that such traits are difficult to isolate, and the observed gender gap is likely shaped just as much by cultural norms, environment, and targeted marketing as by any underlying psychology.

The appeal of gambling appears to be attracting young men, too, with the National Council on Problem Gambling having stated in 2023 that somewhere between 60 and 80% of high school students reported having gambled in the last year. It’s thought that the accessibility of gambling, with it now being viewable in just a few clicks on a smartphone, could have caused the industry to swell. Previously, people would have to enter a casino or sports book to bet.

Are more women becoming prone to gambling addiction?

In 2022, the GambleAware charity said that up to one million women in Great Britain could be at risk from gambling harms, with two in five (39%) potentially refraining from seeking help or treatment due to perceived stigma.

While research has previously pointed to more problem gamblers in men, could this change as the industry continues to grow and entice audiences?

As operators rethink who they speak to and how they promote their products, the challenge ahead is ensuring that this growth is matched by responsible practices that protect all players, regardless of who they are.

Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram

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