The world of gaming has developed dramatically over the past 20 years. Thanks to online and mobile gaming, we now have a bigger selection of games available than at any other time. There are games for all age groups and genders, but female gamers have commonly been regarded as the minority, with most gamers being men. Has that changed and do we now have more female gamers than ever before?
Female Gamers
Early Statistics for Female Gamers
If we use the Entertainment Software Association of Canada report into female gaming, in 2006, under 40% of the gamers in Canada were female. This figure dropped further between 2008 and 2010. If we fast forward to 2017 and look at the worldwide numbers, we can see the differences between both gender and age group. For example, according to the information published by Statistica, males between the ages of 21 and 35 made up 20% of the video gaming population worldwide. However, 13% of the video gaming population were females between the ages of 36 and 50. Nonetheless, in all four age group categories, 10 to 20 years, 21 to 35 years, 36 to 50 years, and 51 to 65 years, the larger share of gamers were males.
Current Statistics for Female Gamers
If we look at the most recent statistics for female gamers, a 2021 Entertainment Software Association report showed that 55% of gamers identify as male, whereas 45% of gamers identify as female. So, there is no doubt that female gamers have closed the gap in terms of the numbers playing video games compared to men.
Different Types of Games and Female Players
We must consider the diverse types of gaming available and how the numbers of female players change depending on the game in question. If we take online gambling for example, including casino games, there appears to be a significant discrepancy, especially in Canada. A study conducted by the University of Lethbridge showed only 17.6% of online gamblers are female and in a UK study in 2019, 17% of females surveyed had gambled online in the past four weeks but that number increased to 25% for males. In a 2017 Australian study, 54% of people gambling in the country were males but they made up only 49% of the population. Promotions such as the casino welcome offers at MrCasinova present a good opportunity to play games with free spins and bonuses. Perhaps more men are being targeted by these offers than women.
Interestingly, stereotypes are played out in video game players, with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds attracting more male players and puzzle games, such as Candy Crush having a larger female audience. In 2019, male users of Candy Crush accounted for only 36% of the active accounts on the game, meaning it was mostly females playing the game.
So, while we do have more female gamers than ever before, males are still dominant in terms of the overall numbers. However, there are several caveats and specific games and gaming industries offer data that differs from the overall average.