While 72% of women plan to place a bet on an NFL game this season, 51% confess to feeling guilty about it and are uncomfortable discussing their betting habits with their partners.
About the survey
Betting Ladies surveyed 144 members of the online betting community to better understand women’s betting habits and attitudes- and that of their partners! We asked what bets they made, and how they chose to spend their winnings. The survey was conducted in September 2024.
Key results
- 62% of women said that they occasionally hide the amount of money won while sports betting
- 88% said that they would share a big win with their partner, although 39% have never told their partner that they bet
- 51% admit to sometimes feeling guilty about betting
72% of women will bet on the NFL this season
Football is the most popular sport to bet on in the US. Out of the 144 women who participated in the survey, 103 indicated they plan to place a bet on a football game this season.
Moneyline bets are by far the most popular betting type
When asked what type of bet they usually make. 28% of women said they choose moneyline bets. The majority by nearly 10%, indicating a desire to make bets that are lower in risk and higher in reward.
Moneyline bets might not pay out as much as a parlay, but they offer a higher chance of winning. You’re more likely to cash in on a moneyline than on a more complex parlay
30% of women spend their winning money on beauty products
If women win some money here is how they spend it:
- 30% of women spend it on beauty products
- 28% spend it on clothes and shoes
- 24% on nights out and entertainment
- 10% on jewelry
- 5% on vacations and travel
- 4% on savings and investments
We have heard before that women bet smart, and that betting is not always about the thrill of betting and getting it right, but actually about winning some extra cash. For some women, then, betting is less of a form of entertainment and more of a way to potentially win some spare cash.
Seeing it from this perspective makes sense: 30% of women spend their betting winnings on beauty products, while 28% use them for clothes or shoes. It’s a way to make extra cash for “treats” that aren’t essential but feel like a nice reward.
37% of women don’t reveal how they spend their winnings
When asked, “Do you spend your winnings on things your partner doesn’t know about?”:
- 28% responded “No, never”
- 35% said “Yes, sometimes”
- 37% answered, “Yes, all that time”
Thinking of betting as a “treat” perhaps make betting more of a side hustle. If you do well and win, you get to treat yourself at the makeup store or go get some new clothes – but if you lose, no harm no foul. It was extra cash anyway.
Perhaps this is why 62% of women said they occasionally hide the amount of money they win from their partner, and 39% haven’t even told their partner that they are gambling at all.
62% of women have kept the amount of money they won hidden from their partner
For some women, betting is a discreet activity, especially when it comes to revealing the amount they’ve won.
When asked, “Have you ever hidden the amount of money you’ve won from your partner?”:
- 62% answered “Yes”
- 29% answered “Never”
- 9% answered “Yes, often”
While keeping their makeup or shoe fund to themselves may be the motivation behind occasionally not disclosing their winnings to a partner, there could be other reasons. Sports has traditionally been a male-dominated pastime, as much as that is changing now. Men may still feel some authority over sports betting, and get a little salty if their partners are winning more than they are.
Only 15% of women are comfortable discussing their betting habits with their significant other
If betting is meant to be a fun pursuit for extra cash, why complicate things by turning it into a competition between partners? This could be why 51% of women surveyed don’t feel fully comfortable discussing their gambling with their partners.
When asked, “Do you feel comfortable discussing your gambling habits with your partner?”:
- 51% responded “No”
- 34% responded “somewhat”
- 15% responded “Yes”
Based on how women are spending their winnings, it doesn’t seem like too serious of a secret. The money is going toward non-essential, fun items, which raises the question: why do women feel the need to keep their betting hidden?
9 of 10 women would share a big win with their other half
When it comes to “winning big”, 88% of women will tell their partners.
We asked, “If you win big, do you share that with your partner?” and here is how the corresponded answered:
- Yes, of course- 88%
- Sometimes – 8%
- No, I keep it to myself – 3%
51% of women occasionally feel guilty about betting on sports
Do women feel guilty more often than men? That’s perhaps a question for another time. For now, we wanted to know women’s feelings towards using money to bet, and we asked: “Do you ever feel guilty about how much you bet or win?“
Here is how our correspondent responded:
- “Sometimes” 51%
- “No, never” 41%
- “Yes, often” 8%
Perhaps if women are winning big enough, they’d want to spend it on something for both themselves and their partner?
It’s also interesting to hear that 51% of women only “sometimes” feel guilty about betting, while 41% never feel guilt. That only leaves 8% of women who can often feel guilty after betting. This goes back to the idea that these women are betting more for fun and extra cash than for necessity. A fun hobby that could turn into more enjoyment when you spend the money on things you like or activities.
Concluding thoughts
Based on this survey, it seems like women enjoy low-risk betting. More than that, it’s as if women use the winnings to reward themselves. This could be why there is a trend of keeping betting habits from a partner – as the money is going towards self-care practices.
It also seems like betting motivation is a little different between men and women, and the women prefer not to gloat about their winnings; women treat sports betting more like a side hustle.
DraftKings, FanDuel, et al – pay attention
As the women betting market grows, it’s critical for sports betting operators and online casinos to “get” the women clientele. What we found in this survey is that, as opposed to betting for things like thrill, entertainment, or an adrenaline rush, the majority of women surveyed had more clear-cut goals for their bets. While wanting to win is a given, the motivation behind betting seems to be different based on these findings. There was also an emphasis on keeping these bets to themselves instead of informing their partners.
