Sports betting has traditionally been a male-dominated pastime, but the winds of change have swept through the industry in recent times. In 2025, more women are gambling than ever before.
Sports betting is big business in Australia. Australians bet over $50bn annually, making it one of the most lucrative jurisdictions in the world. According to recent research from the University of Queensland (UQ), females are becoming far more prevalent in the sports betting sector.
Technology has played a huge part in this transformation – with sports betting becoming increasingly digitised, it’s easier than ever before for women to step into the wagering space.
Sportsbook operators have expertly leveraged enticements such as promotional offers and daily betting tips tailored to trending events to make their platforms more appealing to women. This is not just a short-term trend. Research shows that this cultural shift is backed by statistics, tech innovations, marketing strategies and a growing interest in sports among women.
Assessing the Historical Gender Divide
PhD candidate Rohann Irving from UQ’s School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences has explored the historical reasons why nine out of ten sports bettors in Australia are men. He made some groundbreaking discoveries and highlighted several factors – many of which can be traced back to Australia’s colonial history.
Irving discovered that sports betting had traditionally been restricted to venues such as TABs or the betting areas of pubs, which are primarily male-dominated spaces. However, times are changing. The widespread access to smartphones and mobile apps has made it easier for bettors to place wagers when they want, regardless of their gender.
This has opened the door for women to venture into the previously male-dominated space, and betting companies have taken advantage by offering odds in markets that appeal to females. For example, betting companies are offering novelty bets on topics such as how many Grammy Awards Taylor Swift might win or who emerges victorious in the next season of ‘Love Island’.
On paper, they seem like random gimmicks, but they are part of a broader marketing strategy aimed at easing women into the industry by offering markets in fields that fall under their purview.
How Advertisements Have Contributed to the Rise of Female Bettors
According to the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC), where Irving also works, nearly 90 percent of regular sports bettors are men, but more women are jumping on the bandwagon.
When studying young women’s gambling behaviours in Australia, experts learned that men and women are becoming increasingly similar in how they engage with betting.
However, there is still a gulf in the spending power between both genders, with men typically recording a higher average monthly expenditure compared to women across all age brackets.
One of the key factors driving the rapid increase in women’s participation in sports betting is how companies cleverly tailor their gambling advertisements to lure the female demographic. Promotions that tie gambling to events that capture the attention of women, such as fashion, music awards or television shows, are becoming more common.
For example, horse racing events such as the Melbourne Cup and The Everest are also social occasions that serve as a fashion showcase and attract celebrities both from home and abroad. Throwing non-gambling activities into the mix creates a more inclusive and engaging atmosphere that appeals to women who may not have previously considered placing a bet.
Digital Platforms are Driving Australia’s Female Betting Surge
The rise of digital platforms has been the backbone of women’s foray into the Australian sports betting market, which has also profited from the online boom in recent years.
Online gambling turnover in Australia hit $75.4 billion in 2022/23, accounting for nearly a third of the country’s total gambling turnover ($244.3bn). Experts claim that around two to three million Australians engage in sporting betting every year, although women only make up a fraction of that staggering figure.
Online betting alone drew in around 8% of the population in 2021 – about 2.08m people – up from 5% the previous year. When it comes to gender, men still dominate in terms of monthly expenditure, but that does not tell the full story. The gap is closing not only in how many women are participating but also in the types of gambling they are engaging in – and how frequently.
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