The casino industry is still struggling to close the gender pay gap, yet progress has been made, with companies reporting gradual decreases of pay disparity, and the prognosis is optimistic.
One of the best ways to close the gender pay gap is to employ more women in senior positions in the industry who can contribute to creating a wholly equal workplace. Luckily, the casino industry is waking up to this fact, and UK online casinos specifically have made significant progress in hiring women in high positions of power.
Today’s article will introduce you to some of the female trailblazers who are revolutionising the casino industry and their accomplishments.
We will start our article by discussing the impressive women who worked hard to be noticed in the male-dominated casino industry and now sit in the highest positions of their respective companies.
No article about women in gambling can be written without mentioning Denise Coates.
Coates is a British-born businesswoman and the daughter of Peter Coates, the former chairman of Stoke City FC. After graduating with a degree in econometrics, she along with her father and brothers founded Bet365 in 2000, one of the most successful online sportsbooks in the world.
Coates applied her knowledge of statistics in the creation of the sports betting site, contributing immensely to the sportsbook’s revolutionary betting algorithm.
Denise Coates owns about half of Bet365, which, according to latest estimates, is worth $9 billion, making her fortune close to $4.5 billion. Denise is still very much involved in the business, acting as a joint CEO with her brother John.
Amy Howe is a New Yorker who has held multiple senior positions across various industries. Howe has a degree in Business, Management, Marketing and Support Services from Cornell University which led to her finding a seat at the table at some of the biggest companies in the world.
Howe first became a partner at McKinsey & Company, a consulting firm, and then went on to become the CSO of Live Nation, and the COO of Ticketmaster. Most recently, in 2021, Amy Howe was made the CEO of FanDuel, a massive online gambling operator offering casino games, sports betting and daily fantasy sports.
Danish-born Jette Nygaard-Andersen is one of the women with the most experience in the casino industry who successfully climbed the ladder to end up being the CEO of one of the most prestigious multinational casino companies in the world.
Nygaard-Andersen received an economics degree from the University of Copenhagen which she used to gain access to the big Swedish media company Modern Times Group. She spent 16 years working for Modern Times Group, during which time she’s held numerous senior positions.
Nygaard-Andersen later chaired Astralis, a Danish e-sports organisation which became the first esports company to conduct an initial public offering. E-sports have long been a male-dominated field which made Nygaard-Andersen’s appointment all the more impressive.
Later, she became the non-executive director of the gambling giant Entain and reached the CEO role in 2021, making her the first woman to become a CEO of a UK-listed betting company.
Operating a successful land-based or online casino business is only a facet of the female contributions in the field of gambling. Some of the first women to break the glass ceiling of the casino industry were ones who made their names on the gambling table.
This section of the article will introduce you to a few famous female gamblers with impressive win streaks and big monetary gains from professional gambling tournaments.
Annette Oberstad is a professional poker player from Norway who has set numerous records over her illustrious career. Oberstad started playing poker at 15 and soon started making headlines.
It was not just beginner’s luck, however, as Annette proved four years later. A day shy of her 19th birthday, Oberstad won the first edition of the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event on 17th September 2007.
By winning the Main Event, which carried a prize of $2.01 million, Oberstad set two records – becoming the youngest WSOPE winner (a record she still holds today) and becoming the first woman to win that amount of money in a single event.
Annette Oberstad continues to play poker, taking part in online and in-person events around the world. She is estimated to have won about $3.9 million from poker tournaments so far.
Annie Duke is a household name in the poker world, a player who has amassed millions in poker earnings.
Duke holds a World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet and she used to hold the record of highest poker earnings in the history of the World Series of Poker with $1,166,567 from 39 cashes at WSOP events. Her total poker earnings total $4,270,548.
Annie Duke’s brother Howard Lederer is also a famous poker player who has two WSOP bracelets and holds two World Poker Tour titles.
Katy Lederer is Annie’s and Howard’s younger sister who also aspired to play poker like her impressive siblings. However, she gave up that dream in her feat to becoming a writer. Katy became famous for authoring the book Poker Face: A Girlhood Among Gamblers (2003) which detailed her and her siblings’ experience in professional poker.
Any girl who wants to become a professional poker player knows Vanessa Selbst’s name. Selbst became a poker player while studying at Yale Law School and went on to set the record for the most consecutive WSOP Open events wins by a woman. She has 3 bracelets, 8 final tables and 20 money finishes at WSOP events.
Selbst also holds the records for highest earnings of a female poker player. It is estimated that Vanessa Selbst has earned about $12 million from various poker events before ultimately retiring in 2018.
In recent years, the issue of the gender pay gap has dominated conversations around the world and across various industries. Unfortunately, research has shown that women are still largely underpaid in comparison to their male counterparts.
The female professionals working in the casino industry also suffer from lower pay, and today we are going to examine the gender pay gap in the business.
Still, all is not bleak. For example, with the numerous live casino options available right now, many women with children have found stable employment that pays fair wages and provides flexible working hours that consequently allow them to balance work and motherhood.
Before we delve deeper into exploring the reasons and possible solutions to the gender pay gap, we should look into the figures that show the payment disparity between male and female employees in the casino industry.
For the purpose of this article, we will use data concerning the British casino industry. The British government demands companies with more than 250 employees to collect and share gender pay data which helps illustrate the problem and hopefully solve it.
Sadly, it seems like the casino industry is experiencing quite the troublesome gender pay gap. Among all full-time employees in the UK for all industries, the gender pay gap was 7.7% in 2023, but the gender pay gap in the casino industry tends to be higher.
Unfortunately, there is no singular gender pay report to encompass the whole casino industry in the country, so we will instead give you information about some of the big gambling companies.
Playtech, a software developer of casino games, reported a mean gender pay gap of 22.1%, a median gender pay gap of 22.2% and a median gender bonus gap of 20% for 2023. Entain, an international casino and sports betting company owning many gambling sites, reported a mean gender pay gap of 15.9%, a median gender pay gap of 4%, and a median bonus pay gap of 44.4%, with only 37% of top-paid positions going to women.
Metropolitan Gaming, a company which operates casinos across the UK and Egypt, reported a mean gender pay gap of 13.6%, a median gender pay gap of 4.2%, and a mean bonus gap of 79%, with the proportion of 70.40% male and 29.60% female employees in the upper salary quartile.
The Hippodrome Casino, one of the most exclusive gaming venues in the capital, reported a mean gender pay gap of 17.8%, a median gender pay gap of 8.9%, yet interestingly, a mean gender bonus gap of -216.7%.
While all of these companies report lower figures than previous years, much should still be done to close the pay gap once and for all.
There are many reasons behind the existing gender pay gap. Naturally, it all starts with the fact that women were not allowed to pursue professional careers for the most of human history, so it is going to take time for women to firmly establish themselves in various industries.
Another reason for the pay disparity comes from the type of employment men and women choose. Female-dominated industries like teaching are much lower paid than male-dominated ones like engineering.
Additionally, women might choose part-time rather than full-time employment, not because they want to, but because they have to if they are taking care of children.
Indeed, motherhood is one of the main reasons for the gender pay gap. Some countries like the United States have no federal paid maternity leave which results in women exiting the workforce and then struggling to find employment later due to resume gaps.
On the other hand, a long maternity leave also negatively impacts female workers as they might miss on promotions, or even worse, might not be employed at all if the employer doesn’t want to pay maternity leave or deal with the hassle of replacing a mother on leave.
Unfortunately, many companies are biased against women, especially those with children. They are often perceived as a liability and less reliable than male workers because they take on more childrearing responsibilities (resulting in maternity leaves and/or sick leaves) even when they have a male partner.
Regarding the top positions, women, as already said, often struggle with career progression, but not always because they have children, sometimes it is literally because they are women. The office culture of the “boys club” is alive and well, meaning that male employers prefer surrounding themselves with other men at the helm.
The casino industry is making progress in terms of bridging the pay gap between men and women, but there’s more to be desired.
Gambling companies such as Playtech contribute their progression towards closing the gap on HR initiatives which educate their workforce on the gender pay gap and intend to remove existing biases.
Such initiatives likely exist in many other firms in the casino industry, yet they are only the beginning.
Concerning more practical solutions, companies can look into ways to support working mothers by offering them flexible working hours or a hybrid working model. Luckily, employers in the online casino industry are already doing that, with many of them allowing for work from home and choosing one’s own working hours.
Perhaps the biggest issue that widens the gender pay gap and ensures it remains the same, is the lack of female professionals at the top. Entain recognises this issue and promises to “appoint, promote and retain women in the most senior roles”.
Once there are more women in high positions in the casino industry, not only the gender pay gap would start closing more rapidly, but bias would decrease.
Women in many professional spheres continue to lead an uphill battle for representation, and the gambling industry is no different. You can imagine that the industry has a representation problem and it’s in fact famous for its “Boy Club” attitude, which keeps turning away talented female individuals who want to succeed in this sphere.
In this article, we will take a deep dive into yet another male-dominated industry and what can be done to change the mistakes of the past and create a better future for everyone.
We will also celebrate the success of these famous female gamblers who managed to break the glass ceiling, and their counterparts on the other side of the gambling world who work for the most exclusive gambling providers.
Much like other industries, the gambling industry was created by men and for centuries it was virtually inaccessible to women. Betting shops were (and largely are) hot spots for men to hang out with their friends while making a buck. The same applies to most casinos where the majority of players are men.
The same thing applies to gambling operators, even more so. While casinos rely on comely young women to tend to the tables, women are hardly represented in the management of said casinos, whether they be land-based or online. However, you wouldn’t think that if you saw the stats.
For instance, women in the American gambling industry currently make up 51% of the total workforce, according to the American Gaming Association, but their research has conveniently left out what percentage of women hold the top casino jobs. Looking at various casino board rooms, you can easily tell why that’s the case.
There is another worrying stat concerning women gambling. With the rise of online casino gaming, more women started gambling, because they felt welcomed in a space, which does not treat them like outsiders as opposed to your old-fashioned betting shop.
Despite the fact that women are now close to reaching the percentage of men who gamble, they make only one third of the people who seek help for gambling addiction. Experts warn that women less likely to reach out and that rehabilitation programs are geared towards men and tend to not see how female addiction is different.
All these issues that we mentioned so far have to be discussed openly and measures should be taken to correct them.
In terms of female representation in gambling contests, the organizers should do better to remove the pervading sexism and make their female competitors feel safe, so they can thrive. Many women have since became famous for their skill, mainly in poker, and they serve as a good example for young girls who wish to follow in their footsteps.
Take for example Vanessa Selbst. Selbst has so far accumulated over $11 million from playing poker and became the first woman to place first on the Global Poker Index (men and women). She is, unfortunately, the only woman to have ever reached this coveted spot, which arguably shows the obstacles female poker players face.
Now what about women who work for gambling providers? Although men are still over-represented in top managerial positions, women in the business are actually noting that things are improving for them. Many companies are now addressing the core issue – gender pay gap and lack of women in leadership roles.
Caesars Entertainment, the biggest gambling provider in the US, announced in 2017 that they set a goal to achieve gender equality in leadership by 2025, and it looks like they stand by their word as their employees, along with the public, is already seeing the positive change.
Women in the business say that other companies should follow their lead and commit to diversity and inclusion starting with changing the office culture; men should be respectful to their female colleagues and invite them to sit at “the big table” and listen to their contributions.
Jette Nygaard-Andersen, CEO of Entain, is one of the most influential women in the branch and she’s already helped her platform attract many new customers by providing innovative ways to do so like extending free entertainment on the platforms (free-to-play games).
Nygaard-Andersen champions diversity and her company is investing millions into creating AI free from bias; she also supports the program Girl Who Code that seeks to make technology education more accessible to women and to also close the gender pay gap.
Amy Howe, CEO of FanDuel, champions the same ideals and with her company having a big share of the American sports betting market, we can expect good things to come from her leadership. FanDuel is committed to gender equality and plans to have 40% of women in leadership roles by 2026.
Howe also notes that betting platforms should offer more options to wager on women’s sports, because female athletes should be supported as well. That’s how she believes that women can be attracted to the platform, which currently has more than 80% of male customers.
We were happy to find out about all these amazing women and their valuable contributions that seek to disrupt the male-dominated world of gambling.
Women have always been the topic of discussion whenever the aspect of gender equality arises. That’s because they have been suffering at the hands of outdated mistaken beliefs since time memorial. For example, Syria believes that women’s voices should not be heard. They are cut-off from any form of decision making, altogether undermining them as crucial members of society.
For a long time, women have experienced different forms of discrimination both at their workplace and home. They are also the primary victims of gender violence and sexual abuse. But the world is changing, and most people are beginning to understand, let alone acknowledge, the meaning of women’s rights and why it is crucial now and for many generations to come.
So far, several countries are working towards achieving gender equality and ensuring women’s rights are observed. But are they succeeding? Yes, and to prove that, here are some of the things that show women’s acceptance and their roles in society.
In 2020, the legislative council of Hong Kong approved the extension of maternity leave for women to 14 weeks as opposed to the previous 10 weeks. The step is meant to give women more time to prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically before going back to their place of work. The trend is picking, with the following countries ranking best in providing the most paid maternity leaves.
Gender inequality in employment is one reason why a majority of the world’s poor are women. Usually, working women are underpaid and undervalued. They are also denied resources and equal opportunities in the workplace. Fortunately, there has been a massive transition over the past few years. According to a 2019 report, only six countries have achieved ultimate gender equality in workplaces. These nations include Belgium, Latvia, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, and Sweden. Other countries like Canada are also on the verge of achieving the milestone.
Child marriage impedes women from having a bright future. The act has seen more females lose their opportunities to learn as they take on parental responsibilities. But thanks to civilization, the number of females getting married at a young age continues to decline daily. Also, in places like Norway, child marriages are illegal, courtesy of the Ministry of Children and Family.
While some areas remain adamant about abolishing the act, international bodies like United Nations are doing everything possible to make sure every state illegalizes the activity by 2030.
There are so many ways women are being empowered in modern society. One of the common methods includes allowing equal education opportunities to all girls worldwide. The idea helps females gather adequate knowledge and skills needed to help them sustain themselves in the future. It is also crucial in creating future leaders, not to mention bridging the gap between male and female specialists in workplaces. There are still places like South Sudan where a considerable percentage of girls don’t go to school. But with upcoming reforms and guided talks, such nations may have more females getting a formal education.
Gender violence is an international pandemic known to affect one out of three females. The ferocity towards girls has seen them not only live fearful lives but also lose their self-esteem.
That’s why organizations like the UN and World Bank are working round the clock to establish frameworks that will end or reduce gender-based violence, commonly known as GBV, to a significant level. The main focus is on minimizing domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence towards women regardless of race and age. Girls are also being encouraged to speak up about any form of violence they experience. That is to expose the culprits and encourage other women to do the same.
The number of women in top positions in companies and organizations continues to rise drastically. That’s because people are beginning to understand the capabilities of women. The fact that females are empathic and good communicators makes them great leaders, and that’s what top corporates need to excel. Another crucial aspect showing women’s acceptance and their roles in society is their continued recognition in top parliamentary positions. For example, Cuba has the majority number of females in parliament worldwide. They occupy a bigger percentage than men. Other nations trying to break the barrier and ensure women’s rights are observed in leadership positions include Bolivia and Mexico.
Despite the numerous advancements seen in ensuring women’s empowerment in different spheres, there is still more work to be done. So far, the mission is to make sure that women receive equal treatment in the future, irrespective of their age and race. However, that will only be possible if individuals come together and raise awareness on the subject. Thanks to global organizations’ efforts, many nations are restructuring their constitutions and amending their human rights to suit both genders.
Women are entitled to all human rights and to be free from discrimination. That is what the UNWomen group stands behind. Globally, 143 countries out of 195 have accepted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and guarantee equality between women and men in their constitutions as of 2014.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted on 18 December 1979. In 1891, after the 20th country to implement the convention, it was ratified. Eight years later, nearly 100 countries agreed to follow the legal framework protecting women’s rights. The Convention consists of 6 Parts each focusing on non-discrimination, sex stereotypes, sex trafficking, women’s rights with emphasis on politics, economics, and social rights, equality to marriage and family life.
The effect of women discrimination can be encouraged through acts which result in women being restrained the right of recognition of pre-existing gender-based disadvantage. It could be non-intended or indirectly discriminated. On the other side, the omission of acts related to women’s rights can be a disposition for a failure to take the necessary lawful measures, to adopt and implement policies aimed at gender equality. It can be an obstacle to enforce appropriate laws. A practical example will be a job description requiring a professional who has experience in various news desks including crime. The law does not allow women to serve on a crime desk due to safety concerns. Furthermore, no women can meet the job description requirements. For instance, the Irish government has a separate division that pays attention to gender equality issues and promotes the female representation at work, in politics, in public affairs, company boards. They also fight against violence and engage with women to strengthen their voice in the government.
Discriminative factors are not all the same for every female representative. So, the side-effects are experienced differently. Multiple forms of discrimination can be based on place of birth, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, economic and social status, race, and many other factors. Here are some of the most common forms of discrimination and how they impair women’s lives.
In more than 60 countries, women are denied the right to acquire, change or retain their nationality.
Impact: They don’t have the same citizenship rights as men including the right to vote, work, own land and property and have access to education and health care
Research of 83 countries displays that in most of them, women earn between 10% and 30% less than the male workforce for the same position.
Impact: Higher poverty rates amongst women, low chances for savings, and investments. Vulnerability to external political, economic and social crises. Likely to get a lower paid job and insecure employment.
Only 22% of parliamentary seats on a global scale are represented by women.
Impact: Policies affecting the society are decided upon without considering women’s needs or without having another gender perspective, which may not-intended neglect female society.
The casino industry is a service industry and like all service industries, it is trying to sell you a service that is of high quality and one that brings entertainment and satisfaction. However, one aspect that is rarely talked about is the view from the other side – what we are referring to here is the perspective of the employees on the other end of the service. These are your friendly dealers, who are patient with you, take your bets, and follow your game for as long as you want. A recent article published by sciencedirect.com recently released a publication on working at a casino in the context of quality of work life (QWL). QWL is important in all careers, not just in casinos. However, sciencedirect.com decided to explore this topic within the context of casinos as this subject has remained ‘untouched’. We will explore four areas of QWL being related to human resources policies, work-group relationship, job characteristics, and the physical working environment. The study interviewed 40 employees and their answers are collated in a brief summary below.
Regarding the first area of QWL – human resources policies – employees stated that they would like to receive adequate and fair pay, fringe benefits, as well as rewards and incentives. They also indicated that they would like fair and clear promotion criteria as well as career advancement opportunities. In addition to this, they sought on-the-job training as well as staff activities which would improve cooperation and teamwork.
The second area of QWL – work-group relationship focused on cooperation as the main facet involved. Here, casino employees are seeking cooperation with their management in carrying out their activities. Respect and recognition were other factors identified under this category, as was care and support. Employees also indicated that they sought adequate supervision and importantly, open channels of communication.
The third area of QWL – job characteristics dealt with the fact that employees sought more rest time and regular shift work. The pressure of working at a casino is high and the demands of the job are great. Often, very long hours are put in by employees, which means they often end up being exhausted. A call for regular shift work is, therefore, an important concern that they raised.
The final attribute of QWL relates to the physical working environment. Here, employees expressed the need to choose their work area as some form of being autonomous would help them in carrying out their functions better. The second aspect of consideration under this sub-heading of QWL related to better rest areas. This refers to the physical environment for employees when taking breaks. They obviously do not have great access to a quality physical environment and providing access to such would help in ensuring better QWL.
If you’re interested in working in the casino industry, there are several requirements you need to fulfil. First of all, you must be either 18 or 21 years old (depending on your state and country). Casinos also require a minimum of a high school education and they will also put you through a background check as a result of the large amounts of money being handled at casinos. Finally, you need to obtain a gaming license, which will entail the filling out of forms, payment of fees, and the completion of an application form.
The working environment in a casino can be very high-stress at times due to the fast-paced nature of the work. Although this might be suitable for some candidates, not everyone thrives under this environment. You should also consider the fact that casinos are very noisy and that you’re likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke. Moreover, the work can be physically demanding, and you should also remember that employees will work nights, weekends, as well as holidays. If you feel that you’re ready to tackle these challenges head on, then this type of job is right for you!
Short answer – yes.
Well, we are off to an explosive beginning, so let me elaborate a little bit. There is gender inequality in the world of pro casino players – just as in most sports.
The casino world has always been targeted at a mostly male audience, with strict gender-archetype roles for women that usually push them to the other side of the gaming table as croupiers. However, such a division cannot exist in the modern world – don’t imagine that it’s all good will, it’s simply the fact that (most) casinos recognise the fact that females constitute a large part of their paying customers.
Since more and more women are getting the chance to try their hand at casino games – and enjoy them! – it is perfectly natural that there would be some of them that try to make the leap to professional gambling. However, you have to keep in mind that this is one of the traditional ‘male’ fields of expertise – which means that pioneers are up for a fight.
And this fight has already passed – and been won! Nowadays, there is a much wider acceptance of female pro players. In fact, gambling games are somewhat unique since it is not a physical sport. This means that there is a level playing field for both men and women – as you well know, the differences in physique make many sports unsuited for either men or women. This is perfectly natural, and people have to be comfortable with the limitations that their bodies impose.
However, casino games are different. They are based on skill, and this means that women have a chance. Misconceptions and gender stereotypes are the main things that can hold you back if you want to become a gambling pro. The games themselves can be conquered perfectly fine. Of course, you should keep in mind that most of my experience is strictly limited to poker and blackjack, the main card games. My story might not be overly inspirational, but just take a look at someone like Cat Hulbert – a woman who has climbed to the very top of the poker and blackjack worlds.
There are many other examples for famous female poker and blackjack players – there were quite a few even in the MIT Blackjack team, the most successful group to ever take on the system! – but the fact of the matter is that they are fewer. This is especially evident during different pro tournaments, where it becomes evident that the total number of female players is 4-6 times smaller than the number of male players.
But we already said that gambling games provide a unique level field between men and women – so what is the reason behind this disparity? In my next few posts, I will discuss the psychological issue that is at play here, and the influence of societal preconceptions on the path of the female pro player.
Welcome to my blog!
I am starting a little project that will focus on the topic of gender equality in the casino industry – or more likely gender (in)equality! This question has been smouldering for quite a while now, and people can finally see the smoke rising.
Gambling is one of the most controversial forms of entertainment on the planet but disapproving of it will not make it go away. Men – and women! – all over the world love the excitement of casino games. Some do it responsibly, others – not so much. However, you should look beyond the fun aspects of gambling, as it is also a growing industry, especially with the advent of online casino that can easily be accessed through your PC. There are many people working in casinos to provide is with good times, but there are also pro players that make their livelihood from pro tournaments in different games.
These are the two aspects of gender inequality in the casino industry that I would like to focus on. As a female poker player, and later on a croupier, I’ve been on both sides of the barricade. If you intend to follow the discussions on this blog with the hope of hearing me slag off casinos and spout general feministic mottos, then perhaps you should look elsewhere – I will aim at giving a balanced look on the matter, and there are a lot of positive trends to speak about.
For the average gambling fan, the most that they would hear would be about the huge disparity in the number of male and female pro gambling players. The best players and the richest punters you would hear about are all male – but this doesn’t mean that the gambling industry is closed for the playing woman! In fact, the number of competing women seems to be increasing.
Sadly, things are not the same on a professional level for those that are interested in climbing up the casino hierarchy – and we’ll be discussing that too.
Sally