Differences between men's and women's gambling habits

There are some differences between men's and women's gambling habits and reactions to gambling. In this article, we will go a little deeper into what differences exist and what they may be due to.

Differences in Game frequency

A fundamental difference between men and women when it comes to casino games, odds and poker is that almost twice as many men as women claim to have played in the last month. It also manifests itself in the fact that men are almost three times as likely to get caught up in problem gambling as women. What it depends on is debatable, but it is quite clear that if you who are reading this are a man and play, it is good to have it in the back of your mind. When it comes to having a fully developed gambling addiction, the differences are lower, but still significant. Approximately 4% of men and 3% of women fall into that category.

Differences in stakes

Another big difference between the Sexes is the amount of money wagered. Men tend to play with higher stakes. It also causes both their gains and losses to be greater than those of the women, which overall is not an uncommon phenomenon. Discussing these kinds of gender differences is always a bit of a minefield, but that men tend to take greater risks than women in most fields is well-documented in psychological research. Gambling is obviously no exception to that rule.

One conclusion we can draw from this is that women generally tend to gamble because it's fun. That while men play to a greater extent to win money, or to feel the adrenaline rush of seeing a big bet disappear or multiply.

Men's and women's gambling habits differ.

Differences in Game selection

Men and women, respectively, most often prefer to play different types of games. Women tend to play more casino games than men, while men almost completely dominate the betting and poker tables. When men play casino games in addition, they choose those machines that have a higher risk or volatility. This correlates with the difference in stakes above. Men like to take risks while women are more cautious. Of course, this does not mean that you will not find women at the machines that have large progressive jackpots, but they will most likely pump less money into them.

Differences in venues

If you watch any casino advertising and have the slightest insight into how marketing works, you may notice that most of what casinos send out on the air is aimed at women. There are a few online casinos that have men as their primary target audience. These usually feature more skulls or action in their advertising. That marketing looks like that is because women play more online. In physical casinos and in gambling shops, on the other hand, you will find an absolute majority of men.

Internal investigations at the casino companies have shown that this is partly due to the fact that the women experience gender bullying when they play live. This is of course a problem for those who like to see a more equal gender distribution even at the ”real” casino tables. In other words, it's a good thing to think about for you who are a man and play like that. Try to include possible women and make them feel at home.

Differences in playing time

Men and women also play at different times. As well as for different lengths of time. This is probably also a result of the fact that we are not yet an equal society. Women take more responsibility for the home, which also means that they do not have as much time to spend on their hobbies. Where men like to play for longer periods and into the small hours, the women only have the opportunity to play for a short time, for example after dinner and before the children are to be put to bed. Now, this may not be the worst consequence of the inequality, but still something that points to a major systemic failure. In addition, it is up to men to change it and give women more time for leisure.

Different reactions to gains and losses

Even within the reactions to gains and losses, gender stereotypes turn out to be true. Women tend to be more cautious in their reactions, both in the case of gains and losses. They also turn their emotions inward. When a woman becomes sad and ashamed if she happens to gamble away more than planned, a man instead becomes angry. Oddly enough, men also tend to react to big wins with aggression.

What is not stereotypical, however, is that men's stronger reactions are more emotionally conditioned. They are more likely to blame the game than to actually see their own responsibility. It also manifests itself, among other things, in the fact that a woman who wins a big win is much more likely to pick up the win and stop playing. However, a man may instead be more likely to take it as an opportunity to increase his stakes and therefore his winnings.