The beginning of gambling used to involve only men. Pubs, casinos, and gambling dens weren’t so welcoming to women. If you think about it, even a lot of movies involve male gamblers surrounded by women who only observe. Luckily for women, that is now changing. In fact, we all remember the famous female casino players that regularly dominated poker tournaments like the actress Shannon Elizabeth and the musician Gladys Knight. And, with the rise of online casinos, the number of gamblers in Finland and throughout the world has increased, and this includes women too.
According to a 2018 study published in the Sage Journal, there are some gender-specific product preferences in gambling. Men tend to play uudet verovapaat nettikasinot, sport betting, table games, and wagering, while women prefer bingo, EGMs, lotteries, and scratch cards. Certain types of gambling venues used to be seen as stigmatizing and unattractive for women, but thanks to the growth of online gambling, this is definitely changing. That’s mostly because online gaming offers more privacy and anonymity.
Another 2019 study analyzed the gambling involvement, type, and at-risk and problem gambling among Finnish men and women at the age between 18 and 29.
The results showed that frequent gambling, online gambling, playing more types of games, and problem gaming were more common in men than women. Men were more likely to gamble on a weekly basis and played online poker and casino games more often than women.
What’s more, the study also found out that the school achievement is another contributing factor to gambling preferences. It turned out poorer school achievement is related to online gambling, frequent gambling, and game type preferences.
The gambling system in Finland is based on a state monopoly. So, the gambling network is quite dense with slot machines available in kiosks, grocery stores, supermarkets, bars, restaurants, petrol stations, and cafes. Along with the land-based casinos and slot machines, the increased popularity of online gambling has made Finns extremely active gamblers, starting from a young age of 18 as that’s the legal age of gambling in the country. However, men gamble more frequently than women, and that includes online gambling as well.
Statistics show that there is even a gender difference in preferred types of game. Usually women choose games categorized as games of chance, while men choose games of skill. Also, women tend to play longer sessions at lower stakes than men.
One of the reasons why men play more online games than women is because they see the activity as extremely exciting and fun. That’s why they usually take huge risks and get big payoffs. They prefer poker, blackjack, and other games that require more focus. On the other hand, women tend to gamble to win money and to relax, which is why they usually play online slots, bingo, and similar games. Of course, this doesn’t mean there aren’t women who play poker or blackjack, but it’s just that majority of them usually avoid them.
