The gaming sector has made great strides towards gender equality. The topic was also discussed on the opening day at the Italian Gaming Expo & Conference, during a round table entitled "Female leadership: transforming organizations through interpersonal excellence".
After looking at Italy, we now focus on what is happening abroad, and in particular in one of the most flourishing gaming markets, that of the United Kingdom. This is offered to us by Sarah Gardner, deputy CEO of the British regulatory body, the Gambling Commission.
Gender equality is a very current topic in the gaming world too. What progress has been made in recent times in the United Kingdom?
“In recent years, Great Britain's gambling sector has been much more focused on gender diversity, both in promoting gender equality throughout the industry workforce and the inclusion of women in the thinking which underpins product development and so on. I am proud that the Gambling Commission has been at the forefront of this progress. In August 2024, the Commission was recognised as one of the 'Uk's Best Workplaces for Women', reflecting our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment and specific initiatives which can be particularly meaningful for women, such as our Menopause Advocates and Parents and Carers network. We also reflect our commitment to diversity and inclusion in our external engagement. For example, when we organise events, we work hard to achieve diversity of speakers and guests. In terms of gender, for example, we avoid, where possible, the all-male panel or ‘manel’ as it has become known. We are also committed to including a diverse range of perspectives, so we think carefully about how to include people with diverse characteristics, backgrounds and experiences.”
Can we say that gender equality has been achieved in the gaming market?
“While significant progress has been made, including through initiatives like Global Gaming Women, I think the industry still faces some challenges. That isn’t particularly unusual for an industry at this scale, but I think some challenges exist in gambling which are not prevalent elsewhere. For example, many products of this sector are traditionally associated with one gender or other and have evolved with the male or female consumer in mind and, possibly, to the exclusion of other consumers. That is changing and this is an innovative industry which is not slow to spot commercial opportunities that exist if they find routes to wider demographics. I think the way people, particularly women, think about working in the gambling industry is changing in parallel with that.”
What are the main roles that women play in the gaming market?
“I’ve been working in gambling regulation for 15 years and I’ve noticed some real changes over that time. It didn’t used to be at all unusual for me to be the only senior woman in a large gathering of senior industry people. That still happens occasionally now but much less routinely than I‘ve experienced in the past. When I first started having discussions with industry stakeholders about gender diversity a few years ago, it was sometimes the case that only senior women joined that debate, and they often worked in disciplines which are traditionally skewed towards women such as Human Resources or Marketing. Nowadays, there are women in a vast array of key positions across the industry and its representative bodies such as the Betting and Gaming Council which last year appointed Grainne Hurst as Ceo. But critically, there are also men in the debate, and I think that is really important.
Within the Commission, women occupy a range of significant positions, including key leadership roles. As of February 2025, women hold 7 out of 11 executive roles and 21 out of 55 leadership positions.”
What is the Gambling Commission's approach to inclusion?
“I’m really proud that we’ve made the Gambling Commission one of the best places to work for women in the Uk. As of February 2025, women comprise 52% of our workforce. As a public body, it’s so important that the Commission is achieving maximum value for money and that we are providing the very best regulation we can for the resources we have. Quite simply, diversity and inclusion is one of the key tools we have to support this effort. Ultimately, we regulate gambling and the National Lottery in the public interest so it is essential that we understand and can reflect the society we serve.
That means we need to be capable of understanding the full range of perspectives on gambling and working out what is needed to fulfil our statutory role. The Commission's approach to inclusion is therefore necessarily multifaceted and deeply embedded in its organisational culture. Our leaders are held to account through clear Leadership Expectations which set standards for their approach to diversity and ensure they take inclusive decisions. We have developed a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, overseen by a Steering Group which I chair, that monitors progress.”
What are the ideal characteristics that a woman should have to carry out a prominent profession in a sector such as gambling?
“Firstly, I should make clear that, as a regulator, the Gambling Commission doesn’t impose regulatory requirements on the businesses we regulate in terms of diversity and inclusion. We are, however, determined that businesses licensed to provide gambling in Great Britain will be well-run businesses making sound decisions. Where they fail to do that and find themselves in breach of our requirements, they can expect us to respond accordingly to keep gambling safe, fair and crime-free. Given the weight of evidence, we now understand about the links between commercial success, good business decisions and a clear focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I’ve always seen this as a matter of common sense, rather than something that should need regulating. It seems to me that women's representation in various roles, including leadership, is crucial for the industry's success.
Succeeding in the gambling sector requires a combination of professional skills and personal attributes. Key characteristics include leadership and decision-making skills: the ability to lead teams and make informed decisions is crucial; commitment to diversity and inclusion: embracing and promoting diversity can lead to better governance and decision-making; adaptability and resilience: the gambling industry is continually evolving, so being adaptable and resilient in the face of change is essential; strong ethical standards: upholding integrity and ethical standards ensure trust and compliance within the industry; effective communication: being able to articulate ideas clearly and engage with diverse stakeholders is vital.”
Looking at Italian statistics, we can say that in some sectors the percentage of women who gamble is equal and sometimes higher than that of men. Is the same thing happening in Great Britain?
“In Great Britain, recent data from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (Gsgb) Year 2 Wave 2 survey shows that gambling participation remains higher among men than women with 53% of men and 44% of women engaged in gambling activities. When excluding the lottery, participation drops to 32% for men and 25% for women.
While these figures indicate that men still gamble more frequently than women, the gap is narrowing. Additionally, previous reports have highlighted an increase in female gambling participation, along with a rise in the number of women at risk of gambling-related harm.
However, different gambling products show varying gender splits. For example, women participate in charity lottery draws at a higher rate than men (17% vs. 15%) and are also more likely to play scratchcards (14% vs. 11%).
On the other hand, men are more likely to engage in fruit and slot machines, with 7% participation compared to 3% amongst women. These differences suggest that while overall gambling participation remains higher among men, certain products appeal more to women, reflecting a more nuanced gender trend in gambling behaviour.”
What are the steps we need to move forward towards complete inclusion, and what are the strategies carried out by the Gambling Commission?
“Achieving complete inclusion in the gambling sector requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders. Key steps include promoting diversity in leadership: encouraging and facilitating the advancement of women and other underrepresented groups into leadership positions ensures diverse perspectives in decision-making; implementing inclusive policies: organisations should develop and enforce policies that promote equity and address systemic biases; continuous monitoring and reporting: regular assessment of diversity metrics helps track progress and identify areas needing improvement.”