Big Increase In Women Contacting UK Gambling Helpline During Pandemic
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The UK went through a very long lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and things started to get back to normal only during May 2021. The UK is currently reporting an increase in the number of COVID cases and there is a possibility that the government may have to consider another lockdown sooner or later.
More Women Getting Addicted
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) which is the gambling regulator in the UK was concerned that there might be an increase in problem gambling numbers during the lockdown.
The UKGC and the government have been working hard to reduce problem gambling rates in the country and were concerned that with millions of Brits locked up at home, they would automatically end up spending more time and money at online casinos and betting sites.
Most of the concern was directed at men as they tend to make up the majority of bettors. However a recent report from GamCare shows that there has been a significant increase in the number of women who have reached out for help and called the national gambling helpline during the lockdown.
GamCare had a total of 2764 women contact their helpline during 2019-2020. This number went up to 3005 during 2020-2021 which is a four percent increase. During April 2020 to April 2021, women seeking help from gambling addiction accounted for nearly 23 percent of those who reached out for help. When you look at stats from 2018-2019, you see that there is a 19 percent increase in the number of women reaching out to get help.
What does come across as concerning is GamCare’s estimate that only one percent of British women who have a gambling problem call the UK gambling helpline. The spike in female gamblers dealing with problem gambling is attributed to the lockdown and the additional pressure that British women are being subjected to.
Reasons Why Women Are Gambling More
There are a number of reasons as to why more women are turning to online gambling and betting sites. The lockdown has caused companies across the UK to downsize and stats show that women have been first in line when it comes to the chopping block. A lot of women have either lost their jobs or have had their working hours cut down.
The drop in income and the fact that a lot of them now have more responsibility of spending more time with the kids and looking after the house is forcing them to turn to online gambling and betting to see if they can make more money and entertain themselves online.