Betting women at risk

YOUNG women are emerging as Australia’s new problem gamblers.

Contrary to public perception that it is middle-aged and older women spending the most time playing pokies, and mainly men gambling on racing, sports and at casinos, new research shows women aged 16 to 34 are also betting big time.

A Deakin University study reveals almost two-thirds of young women (64 per cent) have bet on horse racing or other sports, gambled at a casino or played the pokies over the past 12 months, putting their gambling rates on par with men.

The study shows women aged 16 to 34 are 2.6 times more likely to be classified as problem gamblers than women aged 35 to 54 and 10.2 times more likely than women aged over 55.

It also reveals younger women experience the most harm from gambling because they do not have the savings or steady income buffers of older punters, and women are more likely to develop gambling addictions faster than men.

Gambling researcher Associate Professor Samantha Thomas says the study results are a wake-up call.

“We’ve become so absorbed in protecting young men that we’ve taken our eye off the fact that young women are experiencing significant harm,” she said. “Gambling has become more normalised for young women than ever before.”

The study found young women are more likely to diversify their gambling habits — using multiple products to bet — than older women.