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Online casinos are often viewed as a male-dominated space. Promotions and adverts usually show men playing, images of James Bond-style figures playing cards endure, and it’s not common to see women portrayed in the imagery at most casinos.
But that would be a mistake. More and more women are interested in online gaming and the natural crossover between online gaming and online gambling.
Female casino customers are more valuable to a casino than males, deposit more frequently, and are typically more loyal to a brand once they have signed up.
So, how can online casinos make their offering attractive to female gamblers? Here are a few tips.
Leave the stereotypes in the bin
One American study showed that 57% of online gamblers in the US were female, and in Sweden – another big gaming market – women are also in the majority. It’s clear that more focus should be spent on making marketing attractive to women or at least gender-neutral.
Graphics and animations solely featuring male characters are off-putting. Outdated images like the James Bond character outwitting the (male) dealer at the blackjack or baccarat table are good examples.
Similarly, stereotypes of female gamblers attracted to handbags full of cash and jewels are not very 21st century.
Focus on slot games
Women gamblers have moved on from just playing bingo games, and it is now slot games that are the most popular casinos games for women to play. And with so much choice, it’s easy to market and push slots that female gamblers will enjoy. Amok Casino, for example, has thousands of slot games across a vast range of themes that can appeal to women.
If casinos can match a player with a slot game, chances are the player will keep coming back to play that game repeatedly.
Knowing how to advertise top games and featured games to female players is a significant asset. The growing use of AI technology to gather information on likes and make suggestions will be a rising force in the industry.
Tailored promotions
There is no harm in online casinos recognising that their female customers are female. Promotions on days like Mother’s Day and Women’s Day are a nice touch and help female players feel valued.
These could be in the form of Book of Dead no deposit bonuses, free spins, or cashback deals. Similarly, many casinos run tournaments and other promotions where players can win prizes apart from cash or bonuses.
For example, prizes might be electronics, holidays, or even cars. Casinos should be careful to make the prizes equally appealing to both sexes, and when marketing the promotions, avoid concentrating on their male customers.
Have live dealers of both sexes
Most casinos offer live casino, where real-life action is streamed to the customer’s device. There is a certain amount of sexism in this sector, with glamorous, attractive females favoured as the live dealers.
The idea is that if men are interacting with an attractive female, they will play longer (and hopefully lose more).
But what about women players? They will not necessarily enjoy playing at a table with a female dealer in a skimpy outfit. That’s why it’s important to have tables with male dealers too.
Both sexes should have the choice. Some female players might feel more comfortable playing with a female dealer but giving players a choice is vital.
Use social media
Social media has been an extremely useful tool for online casinos companies. It has given them a primarily free tool to attract customers, to share aspirational customer stories, and change the narrative around online gambling as a male pastime.
Females are the most enthusiastic social media users and are more likely to share news of their wins. Online casinos can leverage this by making it easy for their customers to share successes with screenshots across different social networks.
Smart social media teams can also piggyback on popular hashtags and trending topics to tie in gambling.
