Women Need More Help Addressing Problem Gambling

Women, much like veterans, are one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to gambling. Now, calls for more attention to be paid to why women gamble – and what drives them to excess- as well as how to address the consequences of this health problem abound. Leading the charge, among others, is Christina Cook, who runs The Broke Girl Society podcast dedicated to creating a supportive space for women who suffer from problem gambling, although the podcast was not always as popular as it is today. Problem Gambling Affects Women But Resources (Used to Be) Scant Cook used her own experience in building the podcast dynamics, arguing that after 15 years of gambling and finally reaching out to seek help, she could barely find any. “ I wasn’t seeing myself in the rooms, I wasn’t seeing my story in the conversations, and so I knew I needed more,” Cook told USA Today. According to the National Problem Gambling Hotline, there are up to 11 million problem gamblers in the United States, with 29% of callers in 2025 being women. Commenting for USA Today, Cook said: “That data is skewed, and even if it were factual, a lot of times I’ll follow up with, but women experience harm faster than men. They call it telescoping when we’re focusing on data; when there’s no funding for research, there’s no real fundamental information behind, they’re using helpline data. Well, how many younger people do we know that are calling helplines?” Jody Bechtold, CEO of Better Institute of Pittsburgh, has also spoken to USA Today, arguing that she was tired of focusing on young male sports bettors particularly, as there are many people out there struggling with gambling, and they deserve proper attention, and especially – there need to be more discussions about women struggling with problem gambling. Women Finally Have a Safe Space to Open Up In Cook has argued that her 12-step recovery approach does work, especially when it is applied to a space that is specifically created for women to feel safe in and talk openly about their issues. The reasons why women get into gambling are different, but Cook has identified one of the root causes: gambling feels like an escape. “I’m finding women who are just grinding, trying to keep the bills on, taking care of kids, taking care of family, and they’re losing themselves, and gambling feels like a way to feel good for a minute. When you’re having all of this, gambling can feel like an escape from that, from yourself,” she notes. In a world that is increasingly seeing people exposed to gambling, addressing the struggles of specific groups that may have been previously overlooked is an important part of the experience.