In the UK, a major study has been launched to explore how hormones influence women’s gambling behavior. The initiative was prompted by stories like those of Kiki Marriott and Abi Harvey — both noticed that their urge to gamble became much stronger during certain phases of their menstrual cycle.
Kiki cut back on food and heating but kept electricity and Wi-Fi so she could continue playing online games. She observed spikes in impulsivity and poorer decision-making in the week before her period. Abi, who lost more than £20,000, said she struggled to even spend 20 minutes in a car without stopping to access online slots — especially before and during menstruation.
Clinical teams at the Parkland Place rehabilitation centre in Wales also report that for some women, gambling activity intensifies shortly before the start of their cycle. At a theoretical level, this is linked to two factors: ovulation (when risk-taking tendencies increase) and the drop in progesterone before menstruation, which is associated with higher impulsivity and reduced decision control.
The charity Gordon Moody, together with the University of Birmingham, is currently running a four-year project examining how different hormonal phases (menstruation, ovulation, menopause, postpartum period) are connected to risky gambling behavior, and whether hormone-stabilising treatments (contraception, hormone therapy) can reduce compulsive urges to gamble.
A separate focus is the gender gap in access to help: according to Parkland Place, only about one in four people who reach rehabilitation are women, even though complaints about problem gambling among women are increasing. Factors include childcare responsibilities, stigma, and the feeling that there is "no space to drop out" of domestic roles.
The researchers' key conclusion: for some women, gambling behavior is not only about psychology and money, but also about biology. Cycle tracking, working with triggers during "high-risk" days, and access to tailored support could become an important part of more personalised prevention and treatment strategies.
Clinical teams at the Parkland Place rehabilitation centre in Wales also report that for some women, gambling activity intensifies shortly before the start of their cycle. At a theoretical level, this is linked to two factors: ovulation (when risk-taking tendencies increase) and the drop in progesterone before menstruation, which is associated with higher impulsivity and reduced decision control.
The charity Gordon Moody, together with the University of Birmingham, is currently running a four-year project examining how different hormonal phases (menstruation, ovulation, menopause, postpartum period) are connected to risky gambling behavior, and whether hormone-stabilising treatments (contraception, hormone therapy) can reduce compulsive urges to gamble.
A separate focus is the gender gap in access to help: according to Parkland Place, only about one in four people who reach rehabilitation are women, even though complaints about problem gambling among women are increasing. Factors include childcare responsibilities, stigma, and the feeling that there is "no space to drop out" of domestic roles.
The researchers' key conclusion: for some women, gambling behavior is not only about psychology and money, but also about biology. Cycle tracking, working with triggers during "high-risk" days, and access to tailored support could become an important part of more personalised prevention and treatment strategies.