How Women are Breaking Barriers in the Sports Gaming Space

The world of sports gaming was, for a long time, seen as a space built only for boys. 

Esports tournaments? Dominated by men. Sports picking and fantasy leagues? Mostly guys. Streaming and content creation? Male-led. That era is long gone.

Women are making their way into the sports gaming space. Interestingly, they are not just joining the existing culture, but reshaping it to make it more inclusive. 

Here, we’ll dive into the ways women are breaking down barriers and making this space their own. 

#1 Female Players Are Carving Their Niche in Esports  

Forget sitting on the sidelines. Women are grabbing their headsets and keyboards and diving headfirst into the competitive world of esports. 

Back in 2006, merely 38% of women were esports gamers. The number rose to 48% in 2022.  

What’s behind this rise? The emergence of leagues and tournaments specifically for women. 

Women aren’t just playing; they are competing and winning. Sasha Hostyn is an example. A recent study revealed that Sasha Hostyn—aka Scarlett—is the most successful female esports player. 

The StarCraft II pro raked in more than 450K dollars in 280 tournaments. More surprising is that she holds a Guinness World Record for the highest career earnings for a female competitive video game player. 

Then, there is Katherine Gunn or Mystik. She boasts the highest average earnings per tournament among female esports players, with just 7 tournaments. 

#2 Women Are Becoming Power Players in Sports Picking

Fantasy sports and sports picking used to be seen as a guy’s thing. But not anymore. 

There has been a significant surge in women signing up for social sports betting apps. New research finds that more than 3.2 million women in America have signed up for mobile sports picking apps in 2022. 

It’s the sheer convenience of online platforms that has made it easier for more women to get involved. 

Free-to-play social sportsbooks are also luring women to place picks. Deadspin explains that a social sportsbook operates under the sweepstakes model. So, instead of real money, people make wagers using virtual currencies. 

Rebet adds that players can engage in direct challenges with friends in social sportsbooks. All they have to do is choose from any game, spread, or total points wager. That makes picking more fun and competitive. 

What’s challenging old stereotypes is the fact that women are proving to be knowledgeable and successful sports pickers. There are even podcasts like “Bet She Wins” which specifically cater to women interested in sports picking. 

#3 Females Are Taking Over Streaming and Content Creation

The internet has opened up incredible avenues for women to share their passion for sports gaming. They are thriving as streamers and content creators.

Alia Harvey, famous as aliawgharvey, is a case in point. She is a FIFA streamer who found success on TikTok. 

Harvey posted her first FIFA TikTok video on January 23, 2021. Soon, she received requests from people to stream on Twitch so that they could watch her play. She agreed to their requests, and now she streams almost every day. 

You can also find numerous female gaming influencers sharing their experiences and building communities on platforms like Instagram. 

Rudolph Blaze Ingram (@blaze_813), AshVandelay (@ashvandelay), Adriana (@sparkles_qt), and Lisa Wallen (@wisalallen) are some influencers shaping this dynamic industry. 

#4 Female Reporters and Journalists are Covering Esports

There was a time when male voices covered tournaments, players, and teams in esports. Things are different now. Women are becoming some of the most influential reporters in the industry.

Megan LeeAnn Turney ranks among the top esports journalists in the U.S. She faithfully attends Comic-Cons, which is why many of her fans go there to see her. 

Another example is Emily Rand—the League of Legends esports personality. Known for her work at ESPN Esports, Rand has won Journalist of the Year at the 2020 Esports Awards.

Kelsey Moser is a journalist for theScore eSports. She writes deep, analytical articles about the League of Legends Pro League and EU Challenger Series. 

These female journalists bring diverse perspectives and unique insights to esports media. Their reporting helps address crucial issues and push for a more equitable environment.

It’s clear as day that women are not just dipping their toes into the sports gaming space. But they are making substantial contributions and achieving impressive results. 

Whether it’s esports or journalism, they are breaking down barriers and proving that passion and skill know no gender. 

Sure, challenges exist. Old stereotypes don’t vanish overnight. But women in sports gaming continue to prove, time and time again, that they belong. They are speaking out, forming supportive communities, and demanding change. That is why the future of sports gaming looks brighter and more inclusive than ever before.