Average female gamblers’ salary 31% below males

Recent banking data from the Department of Trust raises critical questions about whether UK gambling operators are effectively engaging a significant demographic of higher-earning female players.

The latest analysis from the Department of Trust examined anonymised bank transactions, drawing insights from a representative sample of 270,702 UK gamblers in Q4 2024. This comprehensive dataset recorded 7,499,564 deposits and 982,464 withdrawals.

Key findings point to a glaring disparity between male and female gamblers, particularly concerning income and participation rates. The average salary of female gamblers was found to be 31% lower than that of their male counterparts. Interestingly, both demographics shared a common average age of 36.

Deposit and Withdrawal Patterns by Gender

Analysis reveals that overall activity in the gambling sector, including both deposits and withdrawals, was dominated by males, constituting 68% compared to 32% for females. Delving into the specifics, during the three-month period under review, deposits from males significantly outpaced those from females, with a gender split of 30.6% to 69.4%. On average, male gamblers deposited £24.37 monthly, which is 46% greater than the female average of £16.69.

In terms of transactional frequency, males made an average of 9.42 deposits per month, whereas females recorded 8.83 deposits. Moreover, the amount withdrawn monthly showcases a similar trend, with males withdrawing an average of £116.95 compared to £91.42 for females. Transactional behavior revealed that females made approximately one withdrawal per month, while males averaged 1.3 withdrawals.

Consequently, the average net expenditure also reflected this disparity: males spent £77.55 per month, in contrast to females’ £55.04.

Brand Loyalty and Gambling Product Usage by Gender

When examining product loyalty, both male and female gamblers tended to engage with a similar number of gambling platforms. Males averaged 2.1 active sites, while females utilized 1.94. However, the average income disparity was evident, with male gamblers earning approximately £38,000 versus £28,900 for females.

Charles Cohen, founder of the Department of Trust, points out that these findings suggest gambling operators may be overlooking a lucrative segment of female players who possess higher disposable incomes. “Interestingly, female gamblers do not exhibit substantially different behavior than their male counterparts,” Cohen elaborated in an interview with iGB. “They allocate similar amounts of funds and engage with comparable frequency on a similar number of platforms. While men tend to make more withdrawals and deposits, the key distinctions lie primarily in their participation rates and income levels.”

The previous reports from the Department of Trust indicated that approximately 25% of UK gamblers are susceptible to financial risk checks, underscoring the critical need for operators to adapt their strategies to better reach and retain this demographic of high-earning female gamblers.