Gaming Society has partnered with the International Gaming Institute (IGI), a nonprofit academic center at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, to support betting’s relationship with women’s sports and provide betting education.
Across sports betting, technology, and media industries, Gaming Society and IGI will conduct research to understand female sports bettors, women’s sports fans’ attitudes towards betting, betting motivations, and betting firms investing in women’s sports sponsorship to help make the industry more engaging, inclusive, and accessible.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this cutting-edge research establishing an understanding of female sports bettors and women’s sport consumers,” commented Nancy Lough, Co-Director of Sport Research and Innovation at UNLV.
“Advancement of women’s sport business relies on an appreciation of the value women’s sport offers to fans and sponsors. Collaboratively we will increase awareness of the exciting business opportunities in women’s sport, while also establishing UNLV’s IGI and the Gaming Society as the go-to source for thought leadership and workforce development.”
IGI and Gaming Society will also collaborate to enhance betting education programming, including an expansion of modules for Gaming Society’s Betting Academy 101 and responsible gambling education programs.
The programming will help to educate bettors on the constantly changing landscape of sports betting, providing “a significant advantage to understanding innovation, opportunities and challenges while maintaining a fun, sustainable gambling environment”.
“We are thrilled to join The Gaming Society in this collaboration to advance research, education, and innovation in women’s sports and betting,” noted Brett Abarbanel, Executive Director at IGI.
“We have aligned goals in exploring how betting can support the growth of women’s sports in a sustainable, responsible manner. We look forward to collaborating on this under-discussed area in our existing educational programs, including IGI’s International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking.”
Gaming Society will also develop a mentorship program pairing sports industry professionals with UNLV students to create “meaningful connections” between college students and industry executives to develop “career access points”.
“Market research and data on fan behavior is critical in driving future innovation within the sports betting industry,” added Jaymee Messler, Co-Founder of Gaming Society.
“Over the past year, Gaming Society has partnered with leading leagues and brands to make sports betting more inclusive and deepen fan engagement, with particular focus on women bettors and women’s sports.
“Now, together with IGI, we will help advance the industry with bettors’ behavioral data and insights that will offer a new lens through which teams, leagues, and brands can understand their fans.
“We are looking forward to joining forces with IGI, while also empowering the next generation of industry professionals.”
UNLV research has been important for the gambling industry in identifying issues to address. In October, research by the institute and Bowling Green State University revealed that problem gambling is 3.5 times higher among active military personnel compared to the general population.
