Welp MagazineAs far back as the ancient era, humans have engaged in athletic competitions. And, as long as competition has existed, betting has been par for the course. However, one thing has also remained true as well. Throughout history, gambling and betting have largely been available to men. Societies were largely male-centric, and most activities were dominated by the rougher gender. However, this has, in recent years, changed quite a bit.
Women have become ever more present in circles that traditionally have been dominated by men. This includes CEO positions, stock brokers, managerial positions, and as the title of this article suggests, bettors. In the past decade or so, women have joined men in the sports wagering scene, especially when it comes to online betting.
According to very recent studies and surveys, women sign up for online betting apps at a faster and higher rate than men. So, what could the reason for this be? In this article, we are going to take a look at a few reasons why women have begun to embrace online betting in the past decade.
Technological Progress
The 20th century was a period marked by progress, in more ways than one. It was the starting point of the modern and information age, which propelled technology to a new high and eventually led to the creation of mass produced cell phones, laptops and PCs. It was the time when medical science and technology advanced to a point before thought impossible. And it was also the period when the internet was born.
The Internet has completely changed our lives. Not only has the existence of cyberspace made it possible for humans to communicate, work and shop more easily, but it has also produced various forms of entertainment that were impossible before its existence. An example of this would be the numerous online bookmakers. While it is true that their popularity only grew in the 2010s and 2020s, the fact is, their inception came in the late 1990s.
And it is precisely thanks to these online sportsbooks that many people who otherwise would be disinterested in sports betting have delved deep into the hobby. While this includes men, it is, according to a recent research, mostly women who use bookies online.
Societal Progress
But it wasn’t just tech that saw massive development in the past century. Society as a whole went through huge societal changes. Thanks to the suffragette movement, feminist movements from all over the world, and civil rights movements, our society has made strides towards inclusivity, equality, and equity.
It is thanks to these movements that women now hold more and more positions of power and influence and garner a lot more respect in society. And it is also thanks to these movements that women have become a lot more embroiled in certain activities, such as sports and sports betting, that traditionally have been seen as “for men”. It is precisely this societal change that might, in some small part, be responsible for the increasing interest women have shown in sports and betting.
Cultural Progress
The last reason for the increasing number of women in sports betting is the cultural change of though regarding gambling in general. As societies and cultures develop, so too does the perception of the citizens towards certain activities. Once upon a time, gambling was completely prohibited throughout Europe and the United States. While today, gambling is perfectly legal, though, of course, heavily regulated.
The same could be said for alcohol, for example. During the 1920s, the United States issued a bill prohibiting the buying and selling of alcoholic beverages. This era, is now infamously known as the Prohibition, and was marked by an increase in mafia activity and power. However, today, close to 100 years late, people find the idea of banning alcohol so completely foreign. After all, in 2022, not only could one find online websites that deliver alcohol to your house, but one could find apps even for weed smokers, which would come as a shock to people as early as the 2010s.
Similar cases can be found in the hundreds. Our culture has changed its perception of film, theatre, literature, architecture, automobiles, and basically every other walk of life. It is not much of a surprise to learn that different cultures throughout history have different ideals and morals, and it is also important to remember that the future will also result in changes that might shock us today.
Conclusion
In this article, we have taken a look at some of the various factors that might be behind the reasons for women’s increasing interest in online sports betting and sports in general. Certainly, our society has experienced massive changes in the past couple of decades, and it will continue to change and grow, just like we will continue to change and grow in the future.
