THE ASCENT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS BETTING the cinema), the launch of the first Saudi women soccer league and the national team made history this year by winning its first international game. In Iran, a national scandal surrounding the women’s team where half of the team were in fact men was addressed with the explanation that they were men who were transitioning — a remarkable turn of events that saw a hard-line Islamic state using women’s soccer as a platform for a discussion about gender reassignment. The Women’s World Cup 2023 has the potential to be an anthem and a platform for gender equality, taking it far beyond just sport. It will be the first event in broadcasting history to include women from every country, culture, race and religion coming together under the banner of “Beyond Greatness” and fans chanting “Equal Pay “every time the U.S. team appears. If it can do this, it has the potential to become the most watched, most social, and most important sporting event this century. Throw in the growing numbers of female sports fans and bettors and it’s a bookies dream. The takeaway from the HPL research was that the “growth of women bettors will only continue to expand and should not be an overlooked market. An operator looking to break the mold and take this demographic seriously will create true brand differentiation.” Some savvy operators have already picked up on the trend and started to explore how to attract this new phenomenon of female sports bettors, but they are using the old tried and tested acquisition and retention methods used to attract male sports bettors. As Dr. Laila Mintas, former CEO of Australian sportsbook PlayUp’s U.S. operations, observed about women sports bettors, “It is a totally unserved and untapped market. Almost 50% of all sports fans are female, so then why don’t more make that last step to actually bet on sports? In the U.S., everybody is doing copy-and-paste at the moment. All the different sports betting offerings look the same. Even starting with the display and the colors, it’s all very similar. It’s very dark. It’s all very male-focused and the whole industry is male-driven.” The reasons women bet are essentially the same as men. They love the sport. They follow the team. They have an opinion and are willing to risk money on it. They understand the market and can spot value. They see betting as an enhancement to the viewing experience. They do it socially with their friends. And occasionally, just like men, they will bet with their hearts not their heads (even though they know it’s a losing bet), because sometimes being seen to support the team is far more important than winning money. Cue a global event where women get involved not because they are into sport or betting but because they want to be seen to support women’s rights and gender equality. And there lies the opportunity for those affiliates looking for the next big thing. Operators have not yet worked out how to attract and keep women sports bettors. For the affiliate willing to take the time and trouble to really understand this demographic, Women’s World Cup 2023 could be their biggest pay day ever. Christina Thakor-Rankin has over 30 years’ experience in the global betting and gambling sector. She is currently Principal Consultant at 1710 Gaming Ltd working with start-ups, investors, operators, regulators, law enforcement and industry groups across the world, advising on all aspects of the betting, gaming and gambling cycle. Some savvy operators have already picked up on the trend and started to explore how to attract this new phenomenon of female sports bettors, but they are using the old tried and tested acquisition and retention methods used to attract male sports bettors. G P W A t i m e s . o r g 20
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