Few people think about the demographics of the online gambling community, and even fewer consider the reasons for those demographics. If one takes a second however to consider the question, the results are fascinating. Women do gamble online; according to some reports, they actually make up the majority of the online gambling community, taking the once traditionally male arena of card games and casinos and making it their own. So, is there a reason why women gamble, and do they gamble more than in bricks and mortar casinos?
The overwhelming answer to the second question is ‘yes’. While women make up over 50% of the online gaming community, reports indicate that the land based casino population is still largely male, although there are some areas such as the slots that are just about female dominated, and roulette tends to be a fairly evenly split. It does in fact seem that women’s interests do lie most heavily with the online industry.
There are several reasons that have stated to explain why women gamble online in such masses. In non-urban areas many women partake in online gaming as a means of entertainment; largely house wives and retirees who enjoy passing the time in this manner. Furthermore, it is the women in most households that have the most purchasing power: they spend more time online at home than men do both for shopping, entertainment and logistical needs. This type of woman is financially secure and gambles for entertainment and relaxation. Why online rather than in a land based casino isn’t just a question of ease and opportunity however. Online casinos offer women both physical and emotional security coupled with comfort and the appeal of distraction.
Studies comparing women’s playing habits online in comparison to land based casinos proffer some i
Gambling Online provokes many conflicting strong view points when ever the subject is raised.
Online gambling (in my opinion) is a better financial proposition for most gamblers than land based casino gambling.
My reasons for making this claim for online gambling are -
online casinos have substantially higher payout percentages than land based casinos (usually about 8% or slightly more) with the margin for slot machine players providing the greatest difference
when gambling online, skilled poker and blackjack players can play at multiple tables simultaneously thus allowing them to play many more hands per hour than what they can play in a land based casino thus increasing their average winning rate per hour
for skilled blackjack players using a basic strategy, it is a way to avoid or at least limit the unwanted attention one usually receives when identified as a highly skilled player in land based casinos. One prominent investigation company provides services to casinos to assist them to identify known card counters
the ability to play when you choose and for as long or as short a time as you choose in the comfort of your own home
the skilled player is not restricted to only playing at busy times to reduce the risk of gaining unwanted attention as often happens in land based casinos
no expenses are incurred in getting to or from the casino
when gambling online, no time is wasted traveling to or from a casino
no time is spent getting dressed to go out
you do not run the risk of being mugged for your winnings on your way home
the online player has the ability to play regularly at many different and geographically dispersed online casinos – doing the same at land based casinos would incur major travel expenses and for most of us, time and budget constraints would make this an impossible dream. This also allows the skilled player to keep a lower profile by having accounts at multiple casinos and playing only a limited number of times per month at each casino
almost all online casinos give players the option to register and play for free so that they can familiarize themselves with the software and hone their gaming skills before they start playing for real. When they feel comfortable with the software, they can, if they choose, make a deposit and play for real
some online casinos will give you ten dollars and a few will give you up to twenty dollars so you can play for real without making an initial deposit. There are published accounts of people who have won very substantial amounts of money with their free ten dollars
a few online casinos offer bets as low as one cent. This allows novices to play for real and learn to play the games properly without risking any serious amount of money. At times when play money is short, one can while away a few hours for the outlay of a small amount of money, even when Lady Luck is frowning upon you! It also allows the experienced player to test new gaming strategies without risking serious money – no land based casino can afford to offer such low bets because of their higher overheads
Large new player cash bonuses (for registering as a new player at an online casino) on first deposits, gives the player a substantial advantage over the casino when playing with their combined initial deposit and cash bonus.
both multi player poker and online bingo players have access to live chat which provides a social atmosphere which at times also prevails in land based casinos
Of course you cannot order a meal or a drink at an online casino but adding up all the pluses makes a pretty compelling argument in favor of the online casino for most occasions.
On those occasions when you wish to dress up and go out with friends for a nice meal and a few drinks in a pleasant social atmosphere, the land based casino wins hands down. On those occasions if you plan to have more than just a couple of drinks with your meal, don’t gamble or it may turn out to be a very expensive meal.
Enjoy!