Gambling Commission’s Amandeep Manku Explores GSGB Survey Data on Women Gambling

_{Amandeep Manku examines the latest GSGB findings on women's gambling participation. (Image: LinkedIn)}

International Women’s Day fell on Saturday, March 8. Events and celebrations were held across the world. Some used the annual celebration to work on something relevant to the theme of women and gambling.

Amandeep Manku, Senior Research and Statistics Analyst at the Gambling Commission, shared her insights from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) regarding women's gambling behaviours.

This year’s theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” aligns with the Commission’s initiative to enhance understanding of gambling participation in online and land-based casinos alike, particularly among women.

Women 18 to 44 More Likely to Gamble

Writing on her blog, Amandeep reported that statistics from the GSGB, which aims for an annual respondent count of 20,000, revealed that 44% of women gambled in the past four weeks, comparable to those visiting bars or clubs.

Participation varied by age, peaking among women aged 35 to 74. Notably, excluding lottery games halved female participation to 24%, shifting the trend to younger women (ages 18 to 44) who were more likely to gamble.

Bingo Favoured by Younger Women

Amandeep highlighted the trend for younger women to play bingo. She wrote: “When we look at the gambling activities females take part in, bingo stands out as particularly popular compared to men.

"Younger females (aged 18 to 24) were more likely to have played bingo in the past four weeks (9%) than any other age-sex demographic.”

In terms of gambling methods, Amandeep noted that 17% of women used both online and in-person methods, 15% gambled in online casinos only, and 10% opted for in-person gambling. Without lottery games, in-person gambling became the most common method.  

What Are the Reasons Females Want to Gamble?

Another fascinating set of statistics was based on the reason women gamble. Although the reasons for gambling varied, Amandeep said that when they asked women who had gambled in the past 12 months about their reasons for gambling, the top motivations included the chance to win money (84%), enjoyment (70%), and making money (54%).

Interestingly, compared to older groups, younger women were especially inclined to gamble for fun. Regarding sentiment, 38% of women rated their last gambling experience positively. 

Women Less Likely to Experience Problematic Gambling Behaviours Than Men 

The survey also assessed problem gambling through the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). 

The findings indicated that women were significantly less likely to experience problematic gambling behaviours than men. 

Additionally, only 2.1% reported severe consequences from gambling, with relationship breakdowns being the most common. 

Amandeep noted: “While the PGSI remains a valuable tool, a recent Ipsos report (2023) commissioned by GambleAware highlighted some dangers and limitations of the index. Notably, it doesn’t clearly differentiate between gambling behaviours and the harms they cause, nor does it capture the wider impact on friends, families, and communities. 

“To build on the PGSI and address these gaps, GC has developed a new set of questions to better understand the broader consequences of gambling. These new measures focus on severe adverse consequences and potential adverse consequences.” 

Potential adverse effects included financial cutbacks and feelings of isolation, with 5.6% reporting reduced spending on everyday items and 4.9% admitting to lying about gambling. A small percentage sought support services, with 2.7% reaching out to food banks, mental health services, or gambling support. 

The Commission recognises the need for a nuanced understanding of women's gambling experiences, focussing on its broader impacts on individual women and their families and communities. 

The GSGB serves as a vital resource in addressing gaps in evidence and understanding the varying effects of gambling on women's lives. For further details, the annual GSGB data for 2023 is now available on the UK Data Service.