Every year, about 260 women in Ireland seek help with their gambling addiction. According to the CEO of Problem Gambling Ireland Barry Grant, this number is 5 times higher, compared to the cases 5 years ago.
As the stress levels increased in the last few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisation has reported a huge increase in females with gambling problems. A study from 2019 shows that there are about 40,000 cases of gambling addicts in Ireland. Around 4.8% of them are males, while the females represent 0.2% of the victims of gambling addiction. The participants in the survey are in the age between 18 and 34.
While the number of female gambling addicts may be lower than the male victims, Barry Grant believes that the actual numbers are significantly higher. Many women, however, feel uncomfortable sharing their gambling issues.
Gambling Addiction Among Women Drastically Increases in the Last Two Years
The CEO of the counselling organisation also shared that while the women contacting the Problem Gambling Ireland 5 years ago made about 1-2% of the people who seek help, in the last 2 years, that percentage surged to about 15-20%.
Most of the females that express having gambling problems are reported to be addicted to playing slots and other casino games. Meanwhile, the gambling tendencies with men are mainly expressed in the racing and sports betting, in-play betting, poker, and other gambling sectors that ensure a huge adrenaline rush.
With women, gambling addiction is more related to seeking a way to escape reality. Most females in Ireland are reported to resort to online gambling as they spend hours upon hours playing slots, blackjack, and other games that can often be hypnotising.
The gambling market data company H2 Gambling Capital has reported that Irish gamblers have spent roughly around €7.2 billion on gambling during June 2020. Stakes placed online, in casinos, on gaming machines, and bingo, amount to about €3.8 billion of that sum.
As online gambling is available non-stop, women who suffer from gambling addiction would be exposed to a higher risk of financial struggles. Barry Grant stated that online gambling is a lot more addicting as there are no closing hours and women could continue to gamble online for as long as they wish. Gambling advertising is yet another prerequisite for gambling addiction and the fact that mobile casinos are also easily available tends to make the issue even bigger.
The CEO of the organisation shared that gambling websites have also started targeting females by using specific graphics and features that will appeal mainly to women. As the pandemic has been devastating for the mental health of numerous women, there has been a huge spike of females in Ireland reaching for help with their gambling addiction. Although some may turn to online gambling as a way of escaping their problems, it leads to even more serious issues.
- Author
Olivia Cole
