Future is female: Women ‘leaning in’ on sports betting

Speakers at the SBC Summit event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida joined together to showcase a growing interest in sports betting from the female perspective, as well as in advertising.
Key Points
- WNBA Senior Director of Growth & Innovation Lauren Dwyer spoke on how 37% of female fans within the US place at least one bet per week, while 40% of males do the same
- Ana Clara Barros, Director of AIGaming, believes there can be a “ignorant” approach to advertising to females, requiring more than just a “pink button” to properly appeal
With female leadership continuing to grow throughout the gaming industry, WNBA Senior Director of Growth & Innovation Lauren Dwyer joined fellow executives in the space to speak on how sports betting is becoming more of an appeal to female audiences during the SBC Summit event in Florida.
“After conducting a sturdy last year of our total audience, we found that 37% of females within the US were placing at least one bet per week, while the results came out to 40% on the male side,” Dwyer said.
“To see such close results compared to the overall landscape of sports betting, I believe it shows a real presence from female bettors that has grown over the past number of years.”
AIGaming Director Ana Clara Barros also spoke on the topic, claiming how an “ignorant” view of advertising sports betting to women has grown from operators, witnessing too many “pink buttons” that are outdated and can turn potential bettors away.
“Operators still think that women are not interested in sports at all, or fail to even think of women from a sports betting interest standpoint due to the stigma that has grown in the past,” Barros said.
Dwyer pointed out WNBA partnerships with nVenue and Sportradar that have helped to progress betting options within the league, showcasing how women’s sports have grown to rival betting availability of male sports leagues as well.
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“It’s not just about having women on board, it’s about having females in leadership roles as well. It’s hard, but it’s an initiative that needs to be explored especially with over 40% of the population being women,” Barros continued.
Dwyer highlighted how 56% of the WNBA’s audience is male, hoping to dispel any “misconceptions” that the league only attracts female audiences, while partnerships with influencers and podcasts have helped the WNBA grow its presence throughout the space.
“We have betting content from our numerous partners whether it be Sportradar, ESPN, whoever, to get that content out there to people who are interested and engage in the same ways they do with any sport,” Dwyer said.
Defy the Odds Founder Paris Smith shared her insight to the “untapped opportunity” in working with women, even comparing hiring females in leadership positions to entering new markets, stating “women will bring viewpoints a table full of men is just unable too.”
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