Marked differences between the sexes

The global public opinion researcher YouGov has published a study that reveals marked differences in attitudes towards online gambling among women and men in Great Britain (GB).

motivation stems from gambling being “a fun thing to do”

In its study What draws British women to online betting and what deters them? published August 30, the UK-based YouGov found that, however, the sexes think alike on one subject. When betting for money online, an equal share of 36% of men and women in GB cite their motivation stems from gambling being “a fun thing to do.”

While playing for fun is a shared trait, women outscore men when it comes to using their imaginations. Females who have wagered online over the last year are more likely than males – 28% as opposed to 21% – to say they gamble online so “they can fantasise about winning.”

Commonly held stereotypes between the sexes emerge in certain areas. 72% of women surveyed over the past 12 months are more willing than men (58%) to buy lottery tickets. Equally, with regard to preferences for playing online bingo or keno, the divide skews higher towards women at 6% compared to men’s 2%.

Men predictably top the charts in online sports wagering at 45% versus 23% of women. Additionally, 20% of males against just 7% of females say that online betting enhances “the experience of what they’re betting on”, such as when watching sports.

A question of attitude

The YouGov study also discovered that for 49% of men and 46% of their female counterparts, there’s no particular reason that deters them from gambling. The market research firm posits that a targeted marketing message here could increase market share.

Attitudinal differences between males and females also reveal the potential for more pinpointed marketing opportunities.

Women are more prone to feeling more strongly than men (45% vs. 39%) that online wagering should not be permissible. This dovetails to data which finds that men are more likely to have conversations about gambling with those close to them (20% vs. 12% of women). YouGov strongly speculates that this word-of-mouth communication drives more gambling activity among men, and that “getting women talking to their friends about gambling more could well have the same effect.”

Market share growth opportunity

Interestingly, the survey also uncovered that more men than women feel they might get addicted to gambling (9% vs. 6%).?

Wrapping up its recent online gambling research, YouGov said its findings illustrated a “considerable online divide” as 33% of men wagered online during the past year, whereas the figure for women was much lower at 24%.

In conclusion, YouGov surmised that a combination of data usage, better understanding of consumer habits and motivation, plus “well-crafted marketing initiatives” could be an opportunity for online operators in Great Britain to increase their market share gain of female gamblers.