#40: The Female Betting Revolution?

Let’s get real for a second.

The iGaming industry has spent years chasing the same type of player—a young male, sports-obsessed, risk-loving gambler. We’ve thrown millions at acquiring him, tailoring products to his habits, and plastering ads where he hangs out. Gambling has been deeply entrenched within “lad culture” (oi oi, lads, lads, lads)

I had some time to kill over the weekend, so I wanted to satisfy a curiosity I had about the changing dynamics of female participation in gambling.

The data I found was interesting. But bear in mind that it’s stuff I found online for fun, and I wouldn’t make any strategic decisions with it without diving deeper and verifying it.

You’ve been warned. But with that said, I think these insights are interesting.

Women seem to be entering online gambling at a record pace, and the industry is only just waking up to it. We’re talking about a $20 billion opportunity in sports betting alone by 2026, not to mention their dominance in bingo, lotteries, and slots. Yet, most operators are still running platforms and marketing campaigns that scream, “This isn’t for you.”

Let’s unpack why this is may be of the biggest missed opportunities in iGaming, and more importantly, how to fix it.

Women Are Betting—And They’re Here to Stay

The numbers don’t lie: female participation in online gambling has exploded in the last five years.

• Europe is leading the charge, with markets like Sweden seeing 61% of weekly online gamblers being female. The UK isn’t far behind, with women making up nearly 46% of all online gamblers​.

• North America is catching up fast. In the U.S., 4.6 million women signed up for sports betting apps in just one year, and women now place 51% of bets on the Super Bowl​.

• Latin America is defying expectations, with 51% of online bettors in Brazil now being female, and Mexico & Colombia following a similar trend​.

• Africa and Asia are seeing rapid growth, with female participation driven by mobile-first gaming and social gambling communities.

And here’s something most people overlook: women actually deposit funds more frequently than men. While their individual deposits are smaller, they place bets more consistently over time, meaning higher lifetime value per user​.

So, let’s squash the outdated idea that gambling is a boys’ club. Women are already here, they’re just being underserved.

Why Are We Still Catering to One Type of Player?

For an industry that prides itself on data-driven decisions, iGaming has a major blind spot. It’s still overwhelmingly designed for the same type of player.

Most sportsbooks and online casinos operate as if their only audience is a 25-year-old man who lives and breathes football, casually flicking through betting lines like he’s reading stock prices. The UX? Often intimidating to newcomers. The branding? Hyper-masculine, aggressive, and modelled after beer ads from the early 2000s.

And the advertising? Still stuck in a cycle of predictable clichés. Shouting men in pubs, laddish banter, and neon-drenched casino imagery that might as well have been pulled from a Guy Ritchie movie.

The reality is this: women are not just open to betting, they’re actively looking for it, but the industry isn’t meeting them halfway. They want platforms that are more intuitive, social, and engaging. They value transparency and trust, yet most operators have done little to make their platforms feel welcoming beyond a few token efforts.

This isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s a fundamental business failure.

The brands that understand this shift are making adjustments to win over a high-value, long-term audience.

Take 888Ladies, for example. It didn’t just slap a different colour palette on a casino. It built an experience around the community, social engagement, and personalized recommendations. The result? One of the most loyal player bases in the space.

Or look at Sweden, where women now make up the majority of online gamblers. Operators there didn’t achieve this by accident, they invested in making iGaming feel more accessible, from simplifying onboarding to fostering a more interactive and trust-based experience.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s room for hyper-masculine brands. If that is your niche, stick to it and double down. But I definitely feel some of the more mass-market brands could do a much better job of engaging female players, both in their product, and marketing segmentation.

How to Win Over Female Players (Without Screwing It Up)

We’re not talking about slapping a pink UI on your sportsbook and calling it a day. Women don’t need “special treatment”. They need a better user experience that isn’t built exclusively for men.

Here’s how you can make your platforms more attractive to female players:

1. Rework the UX/UI

• Betting platforms should be intuitive, reducing friction for both new and experienced players.

• Offer customizable views—some players love statistics, others want a streamlined, easy-to-use layout.

• Introduce community features—women value social interaction in gaming. Bingo sites nailed this years ago, but sportsbooks and casinos are lagging behind.

2. Expand the Betting and Gaming Offering

• Female players aren’t just here for slots and bingo. They’re betting on the Women’s World Cup, the WNBA, reality TV outcomes, even esports. Expand your offerings accordingly.

• Gamify experiences—leaderboards, challenges, and group betting keep engagement high.

• Include low-stakes, high-entertainment betting formats, like prediction pools or social betting, that encourage casual play and long-term retention.

3. Fix the Marketing Approach

• Ditch the generic “sports bro” branding. Use mixed-gender representation in ads and tell stories that resonate with a broader audience.

• Leverage female ambassadors and influencers. The rise of female sports analysts, streamers, and betting personalities is a golden opportunity to connect authentically with new audiences.

• Get your ads in the right places. Instead of blowing budgets on the same sports channels that cater to men, look at female-focused sports media, social platforms, and lifestyle content hubs​.

4. Build Trust and Safety

• Women place higher value on transparency, security, and responsible gambling tools. If your platform doesn’t highlight clear T&Cs, safe gambling limits, or easy withdrawals, they won’t stick around.

• Moderate chat rooms and betting forums—no one wants to deal with toxicity or dismissive attitudes when they’re trying to enjoy a game.

5. Support Women’s Sports

• Sponsoring women’s teams and leagues isn’t just a PR stunt—it directly connects with a growing female sports fan base that is actively placing bets​.

• Promote more betting markets on women’s sports—they’re underrepresented compared to men’s leagues, despite growing viewership and fan engagement.

This Isn’t a Niche Play

If you’re still thinking of female gamblers as some small, niche audience, you’re wrong.

Markets like Sweden, Brazil, and the UK show that we’re heading toward 50/50 gender parity in online gambling​.

I think the door is open for many more products, and initiatives to welcome women into gambling more. Both on the operator and affiliate sides of the business.

Because if women are penetrating the market to the extent they are, with male-dominated branding, marketing, and product features, what would the impact be we adapted more?

Food for thought…