More and more women in the Province of Quebec are starting to get into the world of online gambling, discovered a recent study. Based entirely on local gamblers, the research states that a higher proportion of women admit to starting to switch to online casino games during the unprecedented situation. However, still more men indulge in such entertainment activities.
Conducted in 2021, the research has heard from more than 4,500 respondents based in the province. Through hundreds of interviews, the study discovered that there are two distinct trends between women and men who gamble. This applies mainly to the type of gambling they prefer when playing online, with women being more focused on games of chance.
Findings from the Research
Sylvia Kairouz, a professor in Concordia University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology noted while gambling is typically associated with men, women are also susceptible to gambling addictions. She explained female players prefer games of chance, while male ones opt for poker and table games. This way, the risk is much greater for women, said the expert.
The 2021 study finds that women often resort to games such as slot machines and scratch or lottery tickets for escape and relaxation. Meanwhile, men look for more thrilling gambling experiences. Also, women usually prefer longer games that involve lower stakes. Gambling expert Anne Elizabeth Lapointe said women feel hypnotized by playing low-stakes games and take their minds off of things.
In August 2022, Statistics Canada also issued a report which demonstrated that a higher percentage of women than men precipitated in bingo and buying instant lottery tickets or playing online games. The same research found that among those who gambled in the last year prior to the survey, 2% of men and around 1% of women were at moderate to high risk of developing an addiction problem.
Despite the closing of the gender gap in iGaming, research models have been long based on male habits, while women are under-represented in surveys, and results are often generalized. Ms. Kairouz believes the phenomenon of female addictions needs to be targeted so that future studies can better address it and not just generalize the results.
She explained that the data is much more reflective of the male audience, and women’s reality was completely different as women give other meanings to gambling activities. In the near future more data will be released on the topic, which she expects to provide a much clearer picture of the trajectories of the participants and whether they are the same for men and women.
Experts are Alarmed
Over the last few years, Canada has made some significant progress in its gambling industry, making it much easier to access. That is why gambling experts are worried about the availability of sports betting these days. Some specialists have even claimed that sports wagering has drastically changed in a way similar to slot machines, as players can wager on almost everything now.
Source: “Montreal study finds more women began gambling online during the pandemic” CTV News Montreal, March 17, 2023
