Female gamblers within Ghanaian communities: Exploring attitudes to sports betting on the university campus

Gambling is gradually spreading among women in the Global North, which is less explored in the Global South. This article examines the attitudes of female Physical Education student-teachers to gambling and sports betting at a university in Ghana, West Africa. The study is important because prior research has not focused on student-teachers in the global south, who may be more at risk for gambling harm. Literature on gambling among women bettors and its harm contributes to explaining sports betting activities of female students on campus. Interviews with nine ardent female bettors illuminate their enthusiasm, attractiveness to gambling products and experiences from betting. Findings reveal that female students share similar motivations with male bettors, driven persistently by financial rewards for their upkeep. Results indicate how swift payment of wins attracts them to betting products such as tossing of coins, Aviator, football matches and jackpots. Female bettors experience psychological pain after losing their bets, mood swings and loss of learning time, which can affect their health and studies. The article offers evidence showing how female students strategically minimise gambling-related harms. Adopting aggressive educational campaigns and sensitisation can minimise their patronage, and limit such engagement to leisure or responsible gambling practices.