Men and women gamble for different reasons. Men tend to gamble for excitement and the challenge of winning. A woman who is a social gambler finds the activity to be sociable and fun, and gambling does not interfere with her daily life. She participates in a variety of recreations. Social gamblers have a realistic view of the odds of winning and do not compulsively return to the game.

Women who are problem gamblers may find games exciting but they tend to gamble as a form of escape. It provides an outlet from the stress at home, loneliness, boredom, abuse, feelings of failure, and unresolved grief or pain. For these women gambling blocks out the problems in their lived. However, compulsive gambling produces depression, financial problems and alienation of family. These women become totally caught up in the game and lose track of time, money they have lost, and the people around them. Big wins and losses produce huge mood swings.

Men who gamble tend to play games that require a certain skill level. They are more talkative, friendly and outgoing. Women tend to prefer games that involve more luck than skill. Their preferred games include bingo, slot machines, lotteries, scratch tickets,
pull tabs, raffles and more recently video poker. The female problem gambler is often withdrawn and socially isolated. Men also tend to bet on games more than women.

Women tend to lose less money gambling than men even though their losses can have a negative impact on their lives. Since women tend to have less money than men, smaller losses can have a more devastating effect. They also progress through the stages of problem gambling much faster than men. A man may gamble for years before experiencing any negative results; however, for women it may only take a few months for the same outcome.

The number of women who gamble is on the rise. Women tend to seek treatment quicker than men. In the past treatment for male and female gamblers was typically coed and many male action gamblers would challenge the women in the groups, minimizing their problems. Since, the reasons for males and females gambling are so different, treatment is beginning to be gender based and more effective.