It’s no secret that the vast majority of players of internet bingo games are women. Approximately 70% of all online bingo players are women ranging in age from 18 through 60. Online bingo marketers have largely targeted this demographic. Women account for 5% of sports bettors, 20% of those playing casino games and a single digit percentage of poker players. Research has shown that men gamble for the excitement of beating the house or opponents while women gamble for entertainment, social interaction, and escapism.
Marketers of online bingo, with its offers of bingo promotions and bingo bonuses, have taken note of the stereotypes and most advertising for internet bingo is directed at women while advertising for male dominated games such as poker specifically target men. Research by Comscore shows that approximately 43% of the online gaming community is now female. Most of the growth in numbers of female gamblers is driven by online bingo. The typical online bingo player is a high earning woman in her 30’s who also uses the internet for shopping and entertainment.
Some gaming operators are bucking female stereotypes and are marketing online poker to women with great success. Ladbroke’s has sponsored the European Ladies Championship for the last three years and has experienced “a great female push” on its poker platform. According to Ladbrokes’ online marketing manager, Robert Allan, the number of women playing poker has jumped 300% in the past year and women now account for 12%-18% of their customer base.
Many online gaming firms are starting to realize that more and more women are playing at online casino websites and are marketing their brands accordingly. In today’s economy, customers count and the competition between online gaming sites is keen. Many online marketers are starting to look beyond bingo sites when marketing to women. Some advertisers are abandoning the macho image of poker in favor of marketing strategies designed to attract female players. Who knows? In the future we could see poker websites devoted entirely to female players.
