Women and Gambling, A History

A lot of records show that women gamblers have been around for centuries. The most prominent belief was that, they entered the league when the playing cards were introduced. At that time, their presence was greeted with resistance. The Greeks, the Romans, and the members of the Royal families could not accept the fact that women are suddenly getting in the way of their gambling habits.

Since gambling started in Europe, it is no longer surprising that European women also spearheaded the presence of the female gender in the industry. They mostly gamble as a form of socialization. They create bonds with other women over a game or two of dice or cards.

American women followed through although they were too afraid to talk openly about their gambling habits. They usually hide their activities from their friends and families. The wives are only able to play when their husbands are not watching. The participation of women in the gambling industry during those times is as tools for entertainment. Scantily clad women frequently circle the gambling arena to offer the players some distraction and the House a bigger advantage. Women are hired either as dealers or prostitutes. In both cases, they can keep the men's minds away from the game itself.

When Roulette entered the scene, the presence of women gamblers became more stable and more visible. In fact, a European Countess was enlisted for a street's name in Germany. This was due to her popular gaming habits that was said to have caused her to lose good sum of money.

Sports betting entered the scene in 19th century and that, too, played a role in the active participation of women in gambling. At the turn of the century, Slots became popular. They are mostly intended to keep the girlfriends and wives of male gamblers busy while they are going through the challenging stuff that Poker and other casino games offer. Unexpectedly, women developed a love for gambling and for the game of leaving their fate to chance through the machines. In time, they learned to develop interest in other games including those that re previously entertaining just male gamblers.

Women gamblers of today have been prominent even in high stake Poker tournaments. To date, a woman player by the name Barbara Enright managed to make it to the final table of the World Series of Poker. That clearly shows that we will not wait far too long for a woman Poker champion to be named.