We live in exciting times! Dramatic and unprecedented changes are afoot, particularly in online gaming. Once dominated by males, online gaming is rapidly changing, with an ever-growing contingent of women participating. This is particularly true of social games, where women make up the fastest-growing component of the gaming audience.
A fantastic litmus test of female participation in online gaming is female employment in the online gaming realm. Despite scores of mobile games directed at women, there are ongoing initiatives to ramp up female employment opportunities with the leading gaming companies.
Zynga celebrates diversity in this regard, with many more women hired across the board, fostering environments of inclusivity, participation, and opportunities for women in gaming. On the topic of female participation in games, online poker has seen a steadily growing number of female players.
While men dominate the poker arena, female players comprise a growing number of participants. This is true in tournament-style poker, such as MTTs. Multitable tournaments represent the most exciting competitive poker milieu, and as such, they attract female players in their droves.
Traditionally, 95% of all pro poker players are male. Online poker is a different story altogether. It has resulted in shifting player demographics. Research indicates approximately 33% of new player buy-ins for real-money games are women players. Some analysts indicate that the in-person gaming experience is intimidating for novices, mainly when it is male-dominated. In online games, the relative anonymity, security, and distance between folks make it much easier to attract a gender-neutral mix of players.
Source: Game Refinery Episode 47: Breaking Boundaries – How Women Can Reshape the Games Industry with Zynga
Several companies are leading the way with female engagement. An internationally celebrated corporation, Zynga is home to a massive social poker games scene, with Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud attractions readily available. Women in Gaming is a topic that resonates deeply with male and female audiences worldwide. Based on research conducted by Newzoo.com, women gamers comprise an essential element of the total gaming population.
The Global Gamer Study of 2023 found the following:
• 50% of female players are also payers
• 36% of females consider themselves gamers
• 44% of female players prefer mobile-only platforms
• 72% of women play videogames, and 81% of men play videogames
• Many females identify as gamers, but most females identify as casual games
Source: NewZoo Spotlighting Women Gamers and How They Play and Spend on Video Games
The premier stats portal, Statista, has conducted extensive research on the topic, with interesting findings:
• 48% of male consumers are smartphone video game players in the United States
• 52% of female consumers are smartphone video game players in the United States
• Female players comprised 46% of the total video game audience compared to 53% of males in 2023
Previously, women made up a marginal number of overall gamers. That’s not the case today. Almost half of the gaming audience across the US is female. This demographic shift has been taking place for several years.
While women remain underrepresented in the gaming industry and in games media, they comprise a sizeable portion of gamers. They also have tremendous financial clout with in-game purchases. Despite smaller numbers, engagement levels among females are on par with that of their male counterparts.
Source: Statista June 2024
| Topic | Points |
| Gender Bias in Gaming | Women face gender biases, lack of diversity, and objectification, hindering progress in the gaming industry. |
| Rising Female Representation | Women now represent half of global gamers, with increasing roles as developers, executives, and influencers. Notable figures include Jade Raymond, Christina Norman, and streamers like Pokimane. |
| Progress in Character Design | More strong, positive female characters are appearing in games, like Lara Croft and Tifa Lockhart. |
| Challenges Persist | Despite progress, 75% of women still face harassment in online games, and many hide their gender to avoid abuse. |
| Promoting Change | Gaming companies need stronger moderation tools and inclusive workplace cultures. Mentorship, diversity training, and fair hiring practices are essential. |
| Industry Support & Awareness | Organizations like Women in Games and Girls Who Code promote safe, diverse gaming environments. Leaders can set examples through inclusive policies. |
| Acknowledging Female Impact | Brands are increasingly targeting female gamers, with collaborations. Female gamers are a growing market segment. |
| Future Steps | Continued focus on gender equality and support for women in leadership will drive industry growth. Addressing inequalities remains key. |
Forbes Leveling Up the Gender Gaming Gap
While traditional poker remains a hot-ticket item with males, there is no doubt that online poker is attracting much larger numbers of female players. More attention has been given to the future of female players in poker games. Indeed, we see evidence aplenty of female poker stars at the highest levels of the game.
Competitive tournaments are a case in point. Female players garnered tremendous visibility in community-style mobile games, word games, puzzle games, poker, casino, and other competitive online games like eSports. Girl power in online gaming is growing fast, particularly in mobile gaming!
Sources:
- https://powertofly.com/up/learning-about-gaming-with-the-women-leaders-of-zynga
- https://www.gamerefinery.com/episode-47-breaking-boundaries-how-women-can-reshape-the-games-industry-with-zynga/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/232383/gender-split-of-us-computer-and-video-gamers/
- https://levvvel.com/zynga-statistics/
