Men vs. women – who gambles more? What the world experience says

Various studies are regularly conducted in the world of gambling. And one of the most interesting ones is the one that tries to find out: who gambles more, men or women? There is still no clear answer to this question, as the vast majority of researchers use different methodological approaches and there is still no universal test for gambling.

In addition, global research shows that the motivational factors for men and women to play are quite different. For men, it is not even the winning that is more interesting, but the process of competition itself, while for women, it is a way to break away from everyday life and have fun.

That is, gender differences in gambling definitely exist and are recorded in all surveys regardless of the research methodology. For example, according to the UK Gambling Commission, the majority of women surveyed named "the desire to win" and... "because it's fun" in their answers to the question about the main reasons that motivate them to gamble! Both answers are equally important, and 44% of respondents answered this way.

In Brazil, however, there is not only a significant gender difference in the level of gambling between men and women, but also a significant age difference. For example, men are 2.3 times more likely to gamble than women and 3.6 times more likely to have gambling-related problems. However, men start gambling at around 20 years of age, while women become interested in gambling after the age of 30. And the path to ludomania (for those who have "picked up" a gambling addiction) for Brazilian men takes three years, and for women - twelve!

However, a study in ScienceDirect in Canada found that although men gamble more often than women, the level of gambling is significantly influenced not only by gender or age, but also by status, income, and education, which indicates the need for gender-specific approaches in research.

The US, as the jurisdiction with the most developed gambling industry today, conducts gambling market research almost every day, so its results allow us to draw some general conclusions that are likely to be relevant for other countries.

For example, according to research conducted in the United States, men are more likely to gamble than women, although the gender ratio among players in different countries differs, but with the active development of the online gambling segment, women are gradually "catching up" with men. Accordingly, research in the field of online gambling shows that women with problem gambling are more likely to report severe psychological distress, including higher rates of suicidal behaviour, than men. This indicates that although men are more likely to gamble, women may have more serious mental health consequences.

Also, global research shows that social norms and stereotypes have a significant impact on how men and women relate to gambling. In some cultures, gambling may be considered more acceptable for men, which affects the statistics and does not allow for adequate comparisons. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of women participating in gambling, especially with the development of online gambling and mobile applications, which makes gambling more accessible.

So, while men may be more likely to gamble in general, it is important to consider the many factors that influence this behaviour. The situation may vary depending on the specific culture, social conditions and individual characteristics. And I believe that it would be advisable to conduct similar studies in Ukraine on a regular basis to have a clear picture of how gambling behaviour changes over time and what motivates gambling.

The results of such studies would allow the national regulator to respond promptly to the challenges of the time and more effectively influence the gambling market in terms of creating a safe environment for gambling and preventing the growth of gambling addiction.