According to one industry study, 53 percent of those who gamble online rather than in casinos in the United States were female, and the numbers -- like those of women gamblers generally -- are growing.

"If you had a choice between dressing up and traveling to a casino only to breathe in cigarette smoke, drink watered-down cocktails and get hit on, or staying home in your bathrobe and having the same gambling experience, which would you choose?" e-mailed Alana Sorrentino, a New York public-relations representative of Sportsinteraction.com.

Well, duh, said Meagan Cooper, 27, of Springfield, Pa., who was offered up by Sorrentino to answer the question. Cooper readily admitted that she prefers playing poker in her pajamas.

While she has played in Atlantic City with her girlfriends and said she will continue to do so, Cooper said she finds that the testosterone-laden atmosphere of poker tournaments "can be intimidating."

Online poker and other games of skill have become alternatives for women because they don't "have the same macho element, the the same level of competitiveness and people butting heads as they do in a casino," added Anthony Munnelly, vice president of sports and events for Sportsinteraction.com.

At his Web site, a player downloads an application onto her computer, installs it and creates an interface that connects with other online "tables." At that point, the player can select how much she wants to gamble and can start to play.