A new analysis by Spain’s gambling regulator, the General Directorate for Gaming Regulation (DGOJ), shows that the number of women participating in online betting increased by 23.5% over the past year.
The rise represents nearly 64,000 additional female players entering the market, bringing the total number of women betting online in Spain to approximately 335,627.
Despite the increase, the sector remains heavily male dominated.
Women account for just 16.9% of online bettors, compared with nearly two million players overall.
The report also highlights that younger demographics are driving the growth in female participation. Almost 60% of women who gamble online are under the age of 35, suggesting that engagement declines significantly with age.
The analysis also revealed differences in gambling behaviour between men and women.
Women also appear to experience fewer extreme losses, with the study estimating an average loss of €539. At the same time, female players were found to record higher maximum winnings compared with their male counterparts.
Another notable finding relates to identity theft complaints linked to gambling platforms.
Despite representing a smaller share of players, women filed nearly half of the reported identity fraud complaints in the sector, as 46.1% of identity theft complaints connected to online gambling were submitted by women.
The regulator noted that the findings show the importance of understanding gender-specific patterns within the gambling market in order to better adapt consumer protection and regulatory policies.
In a separate international investigation, Spanish authorities dismantled a criminal network that exploited vulnerable Ukrainian women to open bank accounts used to process illicit betting transactions.
According to the data, female bettors in Spain deposit an average of €2,019 per year on online gambling platforms, compared with €2,482 across all players
