Gone are the days of sports betting being seen as a “men’s club”. This was probably true a long time ago, but the latest data from 2025 and 2026 proves that era is over. Women worldwide are the fastest-growing group of new bettors.
The interesting thing is that they don’t bet occasionally, but they are regular bettors and depositors instead. They create a new demographic for the operators, who must also change how they do business. As the betting world is becoming more inclusive, from Spain to Brazil and all over the world, women are an important factor for the sportsbooks, mostly thanks to smartphones and social media.
Why Are More Women Betting On Sports Now?
The surge in women's participation in betting is directly tied to the rise of women’s professional sports. Leagues like the WNBA and NWSL in the USA, the Women's Champions League in Europe, WTA tennis events worldwide, and many other individual sports where women are taking the center stage have hit the mainstream.
Then their fans followed them online. And this affects the betting apps. The reports confirm that men tend to bet for the thrill of the gamble, but women report betting because it makes the game more social and fun to watch with friends.
What Do The Numbers Reveal About Women In Betting?
A recent government report in Spain showed that more than 300,000 women were active bettors in 2024, depositing a staggering €608 million. The demographics show that the majority are young punters, with women under 35 accounting for nearly 60% of the female betting population.
In the US, female registrations on major platforms have spiked by over 40%, driven by stars who have made the games "must-watch" on TV. And Brazil appears to be the world’s best example of this demographic shift. In a historic turn of events, in 2025, the women who bet on the Brazilian market reached a 51% share.
It’s even more interesting to understand how they find their next bookmaker! Around 49% of women in betting say they discovered their betting site on Instagram. Many of them confirm that they were directly influenced by digital creators, some of them being female sporting stars.
This shows that for women, betting is less about research and maintaining detailed spreadsheets and more about being part of a community or following lifestyle trends they see online on social media.
Is the industry ready for the female bettor?
The numbers are impressive, and there’s no doubt about it. But the truth is that the sportsbooks want to capitalize on the massive influx of women into betting and earn real money. So far, the ads are still targeting young men, either because the operators overlook the female audience or because they place lower bets.
The experts agree, though, that 2026 will see a shift toward a more balanced approach. Especially when the bookmakers realize that women are high-value punters who are often more loyal to brands and more likely to use betting as a way to engage with communities or their favorite athletes.
