Women in gaming: It’s time our workplaces reflected our customers

“Gambling and women don’t mix.” This famous line in the legendary 1940s film Gilda set the tone for Hollywood portrayals of the industry for many years. We’ve all grown up watching chain-smoking mafiosi playing poker or James Bond drinking martinis at a casino. But where are the women? Usually dealing the cards or wearing furs in the background.

Thankfully, that has changed, both on and off screen. Gambling companies have firmly woken up to the fact that women also like a flutter. Gambling Commission participation figures show not just that more than 40% of women gamble, but also that the gap between male and female participation rates has been steadily narrowing.

It’s not only lottery and bingo, either – women are also drawn to instant win games and slots, as well as the more traditional day at the races. I’m one of them. I’ve always been a keen gambler who likes a punt on a lottery ticket, horse race or football match, and, as a former journalist, have more than once taken on tabloid sports desks in World Cup tipping leagues – and won.

But behind the scenes, the truth is the gambling industry is still dominated by men. There are notable exceptions here in the UK, like the incredible Denise Coates, but at my recent visit to ICE in February this year, women looked like they were outnumbered by about five to one.

It’s one of the reasons why I am so pleased to have joined the industry as CEO of The Health Lottery, and to increase female representation at C-suite level. Why does this matter? Because if we are working in an industry enjoyed by both men and women – and one where we can spot the different ways in which problem gambling can present in men and women – then we should be equally involved.

Lessons to learn

I’ve switched from an industry that was dominated by women – the weekly magazine market – and think there is much businesses can learn from studying areas of industry where women dominate from top to bottom.

Even in the 21^st century, we still hear people grumble about the time women take off for maternity leave and the effect it has on business. Over a period of 10 years, all four “top table” women at my weekly celebrity magazine had children. Did it affect the success of the title? Of course not.

I found that both personally and among my staff members, colleagues’ maternity leave presented the opportunity for people to step up and learn new skills. That can only make a business more resilient and is not something to be feared or resented. Companies should embrace extended paternity leave for the same reason.

So what happens in a female-dominated working environment when a childcare emergency takes place? Of course, it was inevitable that sometimes colleagues had to do the nursery dash or work from home – then an anomaly, not the norm. But their partners must also pull their weight when both parties are employed.

Nothing is more damaging to the women in the workplace than the presumption on behalf of the working father’s boss that it should be the working mum – and another company  –  who takes the strain when such emergencies arise. To put it simply, dads have to lean in to the childcare so mums can lean in at work.

Currently, the male-female balance at The Health Lottery is around 75/25, but our customer base is divided fairly evenly between men and women – unsurprising for a lottery. Over time, I’d like to increase that female representation in the office.

I’m not a believer in quotas – ultimately hiring is about finding the best person for the job – but as applicants for jobs we’ve recently advertised tended to be overwhelming male, we need to think as an industry how we encourage more women into it in the first place. That’s the best way to enact change.

Lebby Eyres is CEO of The Health Lottery, part of the Northern & Shell group. She recently made the transition into the gambling industry after a distinguished career in health and human interest journalism, which included five years as editor-in-chief of new! and Star magazines. She plans to put her storytelling skills to good use in her new role as she believes showing how lotteries have changed people’s lives for the better is key to their success. She is a keen rower and recently rowed across the Atlantic to raise funds for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, the Felix Fund and Women in Sport.