Dispelling the Male Myth That Stops Female Gambling Addicts from Seeking Help

With more than 25% of the total confirmed gambling addicts who interact with GamCare, they realised two things. Firstly, there is a real need for women to receive counselling and support. Secondly that there are likely far more women in need of protection from gambling harms than are coming forward for help.

The Women’s Voice survey showed the following in this regard:

Women who gamble report significant financial losses, with many reporting losses in the tens of thousands.
Shame and stigma are significant barriers for those identifying as female to engaging with support services. Respondents reported that societal expectations of women – i.e. as needing to be ‘good mothers’ and/or homemakers – still need to be tackled.
The universal issue reported was a detrimental impact on their mental health.

To address this need in the UK GamCare launched their inaugural Women’s Programme. The initiative aims to create a safe space where women feel they can share their stories of gambling harms while also educating counsellors on the specific issues faced by women in addiction cycles and how they can provide effective support.

More Details The Male Myth

An interesting perception that was uncovered during the surveys and assessments GamCare undertook as part of the Women’s Programme is that of gambling addiction being a man’s problem.

Anna Hemmings, Chief Executive of GamCare, noted:

“We must get to grips with the unnecessary shame and stigma women feel around asking for help. Gambling is not just a male activity, and it can affect women in significant, potentially life-changing ways.”

While on the surface might sound like an easy hurdle to overcome the person already dealing with the internal turmoil of guilt, shame and feeling like they have let their families down will find this misconception a major hurdle to overcome.

Carly, a female gambler speaking to GamCare, said:

“I had been struggling with gambling for around three years. I felt like nobody would understand – everything I had seen said gambling was something for men, not women and not me, but I knew I needed help.”

Allowing this misconception to promulgate among at-risk women will severely hamper their understanding that they deserve help and can get it simply by calling centres like GamCare.

Facts Training for Impact

To ensure that the male myth is dispelled and that other sensitive family and emotional issues can be addressed appropriately GamCare has been investing in the training and development of counsellors.

In its first year of operation, the training under the banner of the Women’s Programme has reached more than 3400 professionals spanning 300 organisations.

An independent evaluation of the trainees showed:

Understanding of the impact of gambling-related harm on women increased from 34% pre-training to 94% post-training
Confidence to talk to women about problem gambling increased from 25% to 95% as a result of attending training
Professionals felt more prepared to signpost and refer women in need of support

By better equipping professionals to spot the signs of problem gambling, approach the person in question in an effective manner and then get them the care they need to beat their addiction women will begin to share the message that help is available and they can be healed.