In the early days of casino entertainment, the clientele was mainly men. There were exceptions of course, such as Poker Alice, who lived in the late 19th century Wild West with her husband, Frank Duffield. After his death, she became a dealer on the poker tables to make ends meet, but very soon developed a skill for beating the odds at this strategy game. Although women were allowed to gamble, very few did, and Alice was a rare sight at the tables with the men. She soon built a reputation for herself though, and on a good night could win as much as $6,000, which was even more impressive back in the 1890s.


'Poker Alice - Nathan Bergey vis Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Things have changed a great deal over the years though, and now it seems that women like to gamble as much as men.

However, where many men will still visit the racing track to bet on horse racing or go to a physical casino to play baccarat and poker, it seems that women are more into online gambling.

Online Casino Games Popular With Women

One game that was mainly played by women in physical buildings was bingo, and for years they frequented bingo halls which every city and town had. If there was not a dedicated bingo hall, they held games in the local church hall or community center a couple of times a week. It perhaps should be no surprise that it is the most popular game for women as well, with one recent survey showing that for around 60% of women it is their first choice. Slots are also very popular with females too, although they are beaten into third place by sports betting.

When it comes to games such as roulette and blackjack available at almost every casino online in different variants, such as French and American roulette, it seems that men are more likely to play them. However, among the women surveyed, although there were fewer of them playing, those that did had the edge over the men in the winning stakes. Click here for more bingo games explained.

'Bingo Sign' - David Goehring via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

The Effects of Age on Gambling

Where women and gambling are concerned, the younger generation tends to be more adventurous and steer clear of the more relaxed games such as bingo. They are far more like to enjoy sports betting or poker, some citing that they find bingo too slow.

The Accessibility of Online Casinos

Being able to play in online casinos has made gambling more accessible for women, as they can play any time of day or night wherever they are. Those who have children don't need to find babysitters for the children or be home early because they have to get the kids to school the next day. Any pastime that women can enjoy at home when they have a family to care for is inevitably going to be popular, and online casinos fit the bill perfectly.

In these days of gender equality, you would not think that any of this would matter. However, you have to remember that there are many women who stay at home by choice. For some of those online casinos have become a hobby that gives them many hours of fun.


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