Gender

Gender refers to the interpretation of a person’s biological sex. Many factors influence gender including ethnicity, culture, and class. There are also gender differences when it comes to gambling participation, motivation, and problem gambling. For example, many cultures view gambling as a more acceptable activity for men than for women. Men are more likely to gamble, spend more money gambling, and have more gambling problems versus women. Women more often gamble as a way of coping with stress and as a form of escape from daily life. Studies show that woman are more likely to have gambling problems if they are married and employed. Women are also more likely to gamble on games of chance, and if the gambling venue seems clean, safe, and attractive. The development of gambling problems, however, is similar for men and women if they are participating in the same gambling activity. More studies could be done to explore the extent to which gender influences gambling behaviour.

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Download the Cultural Factor section from the Conceptual Framework of Harmful Gambling (PDF)

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