Targeting Women in the Gambling Industry: Overlooked Risks and Policy Gaps

The gambling industry is increasingly focusing its marketing strategies on women, a shift that raises significant concerns about the social and health impacts on this demographic. Traditionally perceived as a male-dominated activity, gambling among women is now expanding through targeted advertising, social media promotions, and integration into leisure activities aligned with fashion, beauty, and social belonging.

Studies from Victoria and New South Wales reveal that over half of women gamble annually, with a substantial portion gambling weekly. These numbers are supported by research indicating that accessible technology, strategic marketing, and gambling embedded into social experiences are influencing women's perceptions and participation in gambling activities.

Young women, in particular, are being introduced to gambling early, often through casual visits to casinos or pokies venues, or via online platforms promoted through ads on television and social media. The gamification and social nature of these activities make them more appealing, leading to diversified gambling behaviors, including betting on sports, horse racing, and even on popular cultural events and reality TV shows.

Furthermore, celebrities and social media influencers are playing a pivotal role by promoting gambling as a fun, glamorous, and socially acceptable activity. Gambling sponsorships are increasingly visible in women’s sports, health initiatives, and cultural celebrations like International Women’s Day, further normalizing betting activities.

This targeted approach echoes strategies previously used by the tobacco industry, which shifted its focus to women when its core market of men became saturated. Despite this, policymakers have been slow to respond to these marketing tactics, continuing to rely on soft regulatory approaches while gambling losses and harms escalate.

The pervasive advertising coincides with a broader societal context—Australians’ passion for sports—yet the associated health issues such as financial strain, family violence, and mental health problems are often marginalized in public discourse. The 2022 Australian parliamentary inquiry made 31 recommendations to curb gambling advertising and industry tactics, but the government has yet to implement meaningful reforms, choosing instead to delay and dilute proposed measures.

As the gambling industry’s marketing to women grows, so does concern over its long-term effects, especially on young girls and women. The use of social media influencers, the embedding of gambling into social and cultural events, and the promotion of betting on entertainment and celebrity culture are all strategies that make gambling more acceptable and accessible.

Learning from historical precedents like the tobacco industry, it is clear that without decisive regulation and public health initiatives, the targeting of women in gambling marketing will continue to expand, amplifying harm across society. Addressing these tactics requires recognition of industry strategies and proactive policy action to protect vulnerable populations.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-gambling-industry-women-sights-policymakers.html