Gambling Addiction – How Gender Plays a Role
Gambling in moderation is the ideal socially acceptable conduct. The favorite pastime act is easily balanced between reward and fun. An upset in the balance happens for some punters, creating an addiction problem. A good number of individuals in this net are men. Women are also not entirely free from this. An addiction is an offshoot of normalcy. A different story. However, it could ruin finances, relationships, and families if left unattended or unchecked.
Players with gambling problems always feel the urge, most times uncontrollable, to visit casinos, buy lottery tickets, bet on sports, or gamble online. They continue this act despite the negative financial, social, or legal consequences staring right at them. This post investigates how gender roles play a part in gambling addiction, and we narrow it down to the female gender, who are often ignored.
How Gender Traditionally Influences Gambling
Gambling has always been associated with men. It helped them socialize, bond, and build something special in their communities. They did not need a special skill set, which made it easier. On the other hand, only a fraction of women between 18 and 35 were involved in any gambling activity before 2012. Compared to their male counterpart, with a percentage of 26% actively gambling, their numbers were quite low.
Before 2013, due to the adventurous nature of the male gender, we saw more male lottery players, bookkeepers, and jackpot winners. Another study showed the male gender took more risks, had less impulsive coping, and had higher sensations compared to women. Consequently, all these attributes led to more gambling for this gender.
The push for gender equality, and the innovation of online gambling, made the female gender more interested in gambling. Initially, women found it uneasy to walk into a brick-and-mortar establishment to gamble. Online gambling has triggered a shift to an almost 50-50 in the balance scale, which can be seen in the statistics. We now have a higher percentage of female gamblers.
The Contrast in Motivation for Males and Females
From the statistics above, men are more inclined to gamble than women. This is true despite the new motivation created by online gambling. But what could be the reason for the imbalance? This difference can only be figured out if we understand what drives each gender. Moreover, we understand that both genders have natural and nurture differences.
A popular theory puts men as natural risk-takers. Men, unlike women, would take on the riskiest tasks regardless of how much information they know about them. Most times, these acts could be competition within the male gender for adventure, thrills or entertainment; however, it puts men as having this pervasive feature that puts them above the female gender.
Turning to gambling activities, the same approach is made. Men can easily take on a risky venture by their nature. They are driven to take risks daily. The male folks either win or learn from the experience. A man dies inside when he stops being adventurous. They even make bluffs at table games despite the risk involved, which has a different meaning to women. Navigating uncharted waters gives the male gender the excitement, thrills, and pleasure they crave.
The female gender shows less risk inclination. With gambling, it is no different. However, women gamble more for entertainment, especially when bored. In comparison, like men, they also explore doing something quite different from their routine activities. They don’t press much into it and only use it as an escape place.
Barriers to Receiving Treatment for Females
A survey by Gamble Aware shows that up to a million females are on the verge of being harmed by gambling. This number goes up due to the ease with which females can access iGaming products on mobile devices. The survey also reveals a doubling number of women seeking professional treatment. When crossed checked with the number of females gambling and dealing with an addiction, this number is still below the benchmark. According to the survey, a good number of them, two in five, are not signing up for gambling assistance due to stigmatization and embarrassment.
Most care or avenues towards receiving treatments is designed for the male gender or are programmed to run in a male-minded system. Most female problem gamblers would rather shy away from such a system and resolve to self-care. Naturally, women avoid seeking gambling assistance despite their inclination to report mental health issues. Society places high expectations on women, and they feel embarrassed and stigmatized when they ask for help.
Perhaps, if the system were reinvented because women can also be addicts, more women would show up. For instance, women easily seek assistance for mental health conditions more than men.
Who Is More Inclined to Seek out Crypto Casinos?
Online gambling proffers a convenient method of enjoying casino games without leaving your comfort zone. Getting addicted to such practices could be damaging because most players do this online and in their homes. However, legal gambling has created avenues to curb excessive gambling practices. But these “stops” have triggered responses that have found a way to bypass their restrictions. Both genders have resolved to the relatively new alternatives such as signing up for Bitcoin casinos.
Crypto casinos appeal to the new generation of gamblers, especially the male gender. The same set of players who are vast in trading stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, real estate, etc., and players who are inclined to take risks. Despite the btc casino appeal, the female gender lags behind the male gender and is less interested in its operations. Women would rather stick with traditional fiat casinos than bitcoin casinos because it provides their basic gambling need. She is not interested in conquering new grounds. Unfortunately, women also own fewer cryptocurrencies than men.
Practical Outlook on Gambling Addiction
Gambling is an activity enjoyed by everyone. Before now, the male folks were more seen at gambling houses, bars, and restaurants placing wagers on games or spinning the reels. Consequently, gambling addiction was also seen as a male issue. The avenues for care and assistance were designed to help the male gender.
Online gambling changed the landscape of modern gambling. Everyone has access to iGaming products via their smartphones. Women found it easier to take a break and get some form of entertainment gambling. This raised the number of women accessing online casinos. But the rise in numbers has not been supplemented with adequate care for the female gender, who begins to gamble compulsively.
National Gambling Treatment Service, Money Advice, Debt Support Trust, and Debt Advice Foundation are avenues to assist problem gamblers. It is necessary to gamble responsibly. This favorite pastime act is primarily for relaxation and entertainment. Don’t chase losses. Play for fun. May the odds be in your favor.
