Photo by Alli Worthington
The Guardian, a UK newspaper, recently
reported that of the 8.65m iPhone users in the UK, 4.3%, or 372k, have a
betting/gaming app on their phone. Factor in the proportion of the 15.3m (2013
figure) of Android users and the amount of people with online gaming apps on
their phones is simply incredible.
With the rise of smart phones, barriers
have been broken. No longer, and rightly so, is betting viewed as a male
exclusive activity. More and more women are getting involved with online
gaming, in the UK their participation has increased four times from 2007 to
2010 and the amount of females playing online is nearly equal to that of men.
So why are more and more females becoming
involved in online gaming?
Socialising
If you ask most women why they gamble
online they will tell you that it isn’t for the cash incentive but for the
social element. If we take bingo for example, which is the most popular game
amongst females, there is a massive social element to the game.
If you were to play one of the online games at Mirror Bingo, BGO or 888
for example, you’ll see that there are chat facilities available to add a
social element to the game. Moderators are nearly always present to make sure
the conversation stays clean.
If you go onto the community section of the Mirror Bingo’s website for instance, you can meet the mods who’ll be keeping an eye on things!
If you go onto the community section of the Mirror Bingo’s website for instance, you can meet the mods who’ll be keeping an eye on things!
Nearly every bingo site now comes with a
chat functions, meaning that you can talk to others whilst playing, something
that is forbidden in bingo halls. It is a jovial atmosphere with players often
complimenting others on their wins, and with the world moving at such a
frenetic pace, for some, this is their only chance for proper conversation.
Whilst for those who are lonely, online
bingo offers them a forum to talk with likeminded people and have some fun.
Convenience
Betting has always been associated with men
as they are the party that are allowed to go out and play. Women whose main
role is that of a mother have historically had little to no time to take part
in many activities, bingo on a Wednesday is arguably one of their only
excursions with friends.
However, with the rise of smart phones and
the internet, homemakers now have the ability to partake in bingo, amongst
others. This convenience allows women to play whenever they have a spare
second, something that would have been deemed impossible ten years ago.
If the roles were reversed and it was men
that stayed at home and brought up the kids you would probably have seen
betting become synonymous with women as they would have the time to partake in
it. So now, with it being some much more convenient, it isn’t too surprising
that more and more women are playing the game.
Cost Benefit Analysis
When it comes to money there can be no
argument that women are betting with it. They are shrewd and calculating and
don’t chuck it around like the somewhat idiotic males.
The point being, if you do a cost benefit
analysis of online bingo, it makes sense from a financial standpoint.
Stakes for online bingo can be as low as a
penny. In fact, the biggest ever bingo win was with just a 30p stake – John
Orchard won an incredible £5.9million in 2012. Many sites also offer
introductory promotions. At Mirror Bingo for example, you can get a £40 bonus
when you deposit £10. This allows you to get a feel for the site and if you get
a few wins with your free bonus then even better!
Bingo is low cost and as such women deem it
okay to involve themselves with it.
To conclude, women are getting involved
with online gaming mainly for the social element it provides, while the rise of
mobile technology has made it far more convenient for them to play.
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