Research conducted by web monitoring firm Hitwise reveals that with the emergence of online bingo, gambling websites have tapped a new market.

Online gambling has long been the purview of men. Billboards in the Tube for casino and poker websites show men celebrating their wins in front of a laptop, whether at the barbershop or the pub.

The industry has enjoyed explosive growth in recent years and with the recent floatation of Party Gaming in the UK, online gambling has gained increased legitimacy.

Analysis by Hitwise reveals that gambling sites as a whole attract 8 per cent fewer visits from UK female internet users than average for all websites.

Sport betting holds particular appeal for UK male users who account for 3 in 5 visits to sport betting sites. Bingo websites on the other hand account for 3 in 5 visits from UK women.

"The industry has enjoyed explosive growth and in order to continue to gain market share, gambling sites will need to lure new audiences," said Heather Hopkins, Hitwise UK research director.

"Women have traditionally been underrepresented on gambling websites but bingo is changing that. So-called 'soft-gambling' opens the doors to a new audience."

Less than 1 in 5 visits to poker websites and 1 in 15 visits to casino websites are to UK sites. The remaining share of visits to poker and casino websites go to sites that are registered in countries other than the UK, such as Gibraltar, the US Virgin Islands, and Belize.

This is likely due to the tax incentives for casino and poker sites to register offshore and may change in future as legislation is relaxed in the UK, says Hitwise.

By contrast, nearly 19 in every 20 visits to sport betting sites are to UK sites.

This dominance of local sites can be partially explained by the prominence of traditional offline sport betting firms such as Ladbrokes and William Hill but more likely by the tendency for punters to bet on local teams and events, adds Hitwise.