The Future of Sports Betting is Female

It’s not often that stats make us do a double-take. But when Kyle, our lead editor, learned that women signed up for betting apps last year at double the pace of men, he spit out his coffee (and then called his girlfriend).

All this to say: More than 4.6 million women joined sports betting apps in the US last year, a 115% increase compared with 2020, per a recent report by Global Wireless Solutions. The rate of men using sportsbook betting apps grew 63% over the same time period.

💁‍♀️💁‍♀️ Girls rule…

• In fact, some of the biggest sportsbook apps in the US reportedly now have more female users than male, including BetRivers and its associated New Jersey outlet SugarHouse (54% to 46%). Fewer than 380,000 men signed up with the company last year, compared to around 600,000 women.
• FanDuel brought in more new US female users in 2021 than any other sportsbook gambling company, with an estimated 1.7 million. DraftKings was second with an estimated 900,000.

✋ Yes, but: Despite the higher growth rate, women use the apps less frequently than men. 70% of women engage with the apps for a mere one-to-five weeks per year compared to 61% of men, according to the study.

📸 Big picture: The sports betting industry more than doubled last year to $4.3 billion, with Goldman Sachs predicting it’ll reach $39 billion by 2033. A large portion of that future growth is expected to come from women.

• “It’s all about market-share grab at this point… [betting apps] know women watch football, basketball and everything in between,” Brendan Bussmann, managing partner at a gaming and hospitality-focused consulting firm, told Forbes.

🎰 The bottom line: If you’re a woman in a legal betting state, get ready to see some targeted ads.

IMPORTANT: If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. The National Council on Problem Gambling Helpline offers a confidential, 24-hour helpline for problem gamblers or their family members at 1-800-522-4700.