Different Gender, Different, Game?
No matter what people say in this politically correct world, there are a ton of differences between how men and women behave and a good deal of these differences can be seen when people are playing competitive games whether that’s an online game or playing at a bricks and mortar venue.
Online sites provide us with just the right environment to study if gender has an effect on what and how we play games like poker in all its variations, and sites like Sky Vegas are exactly what we want when we are analysing competitiveness and preferences between men and women.
It’s safe to say that for century upon century there has been a gender battle, with the consensus being that women are from Venus and men from Mars, and reputedly from most modern constitutions and governments, are equal, yet that does not mean that their preferences are necessarily the same, and nor should they be.
Statistics can be useful when taken over a large sample of people, and if these are applied to the games that men and women prefer, there are some definite patterns produced and that are also tied into the reasons why some people actually gamble.
Take the less competitive games such as slots and bingo. All of these activities are about having fun, and not so much emphasis is placed on the competitive side of the games, unlike poker. The first selection is widely played and enjoyed by women as they tend to gamble as an enjoyable pastime as is proved with bingo where the social side of things is probably more important than the game of bingo itself, whilst poker and video poker is about doing everything you can to improve and beat your opponents. Men tend to gamble for the action and the competitive nature of the games they choose.
Interestingly according to some psychologists men actually have an in-built need to dominate their rivals and win, and they also are drawn towards those games of skill as they enjoy the thrill of games like high stakes poker, roulette, crap, blackjack and baccarat (the game of 007!)
On the other hand women tend to approach gambling a lot differently, and look at their time spent at the online casino as time to be entertained, whilst catching up with friends, making new ones and generally have a laugh whilst being kept up-to-date with all the latest news and gossip. Games of luck appeal more to women where they do not have to focus all of their energies on the hand they have or the particular betting system they are using.
One interesting fact is that these gender traits can easily become blurred online due to a couple of factors. One being that all games are available to all players. There is no intimidation from experienced players or dealers when you are in your own home, and you can be as anonymous as you like which removes that gender bias on certain games. One the flip side of the coin there are slots games that have been especially designed to incorporate an element of skill and entertainment aimed at attracting men.
Software developers recognised the increase of social aspects of games and because of that there are more multi-player versions of the classic games such as roulette, slots and of course bingo. Chat features have increased although chat logs between men tend to be competitive and serious, and chat can get a little out of hand at times, but this is the way that men bond. The chat logs between women tend to celebrate their friends wins, they bond and meet time after time over the internet, enjoying their time.
These tendencies of people as a whole shape how the software developers produce their games. Of course this is a generalisation as there are many men who do enjoy a game of bingo, or a spin of the reels just as much as some women love the competitive side of the classic card games like poker, but it is interesting to consider the different aspects of how men and women gamble, play and interact with each other online.
