Gamstop has revealed new figures which show that more than 55,000 women have now self-excluded from online gambling sites using the self-exclusion tool.
According to figures from the UK-based self-exclusion provider, Gamstop, more than 55,000 women have now registered to self-exclude from all gambling sites using the self-exclusion tool.
The new figures suggest that problem gambling may be growing among female players.
Gamstop’s figures
The self-exclusion provider said that women now account for 31% of self-exclusions which is up from 26% in March 2020. Gamstop has attributed the change to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gamstop said that passing the 50,000 mark in registrations is “significant” and went on to argue that the number suggests that online gambling addiction, which is often regarded as solely being a problem for men, is having an increasing impact on females.
Gamstop chief executive Fiona Palmer said: “As we begin to understand the demographic make up of our register it is important to feed back to the various support agencies and work together to encourage those women who have registered with Gamstop to access the help they may need going forward.
“50,000 female registrants is a significant number and we are pleased that they have found the Gamstop self-exclusion scheme and that it is a useful practical tool to help with their gambling issues.”
More women are receiving treatment for gambling problems
The self-exclusion provider cited recent statistics released by the National Gambling Treatment Service which indicate that a larger portion of women are receiving treatment for problem gambling.
According to the figures, the number of women among receiving treatment is up from 19% in 2015/2016 to almost 25% for the year to the end of March 2020. On top of this, a larger percentage of the group also faced problems relating to online gambling up from 57% in 2015/2016 to 69% in the most recent period.
The gambling support charity GamCare has also revealed that the number of women reporting gambling-related problems is increasing at double the rate of men. However, only 1% of women who experience a gambling-related problem contact the National Gambling Helpline.
Anna Hemmings, chief executive of GamCare, said: “We must get to grips with the unnecessary shame and stigma women feel around asking for help with gambling. Gambling is not just a male activity, and it can affect women in significant, potentially life-changing ways.
“Our dedicated Women’s Programme has told us that we need to remove barriers for women to access help with gambling-related harm – the issues that women are facing are often hidden from support services.
“GamCare is pleased to be able to work with Gamstop so people registering for online self-exclusion can also be swiftly connected through to specialist support and treatment services, which greatly increases the chance of sustaining a recovery from gambling harms.”
