According to comScore, free online gaming sites tallied 27 percent more unique visitors in December than in the same month in 2007. Those visitors spent 42 percent more time playing their games than the players of December 2007.

Although these numbers reflect sites that provide arcade-type games rather than fantasy contests, the numbers should still be interesting to purveyors of fantasy for several reasons.

1) We should probably assume that the boost for free games was affected heavily by the crumbling economy. Thus, the trend could well continue this year, when more tough times have already been forecast. If these circumstances lead more gamers to seek free outlets, why shouldn’t we expect a similar reaction from fantasy players? Free vs. pay has long been a central issue for both fantasy game suppliers and content providers.

2) Such free platforms rely on advertising and sponsorship to make money. Although the numbers mentioned above would have to look attractive to potential advertisers, there aren’t as many of those ad dollars floating around these days. Is there enough available, and can free fantasy sites attract enough of them to survive?

We’ll have to see what the answers to these questions will be.

A roundup of recent posts on the FSB News page.

– The Fantasy Sports Trade Association is taking nominations for its industry awards through Nov. 10. Voting will take place in December, with the winners to be announced at the winter business conference in Florida on January 27-28. Nominees much be FSTA members.

– Forecasts for the online advertising marketplace seem to be bipolar, but eMarketer projects a continuation of double-digit growth through this year and next.

– Bryce McRae has joined the ranks of the managing editors at KFFL.

– The Knight Commission debated the impact of fantasy college football on Monday, particularly in relation to the broader question of whether to pay athletes. It still seems as though everyone involved in this area of the fantasy debate, though, is mistaken about the role and impact of fantasy.

– Real Time Sports is using performance and breadth of participation to rank all of its users in a single, 225-person fantasy football hierarchy. “Troy R.” leads with first-place standing in eight leagues and second in seven others at present.

A roundup up recent posts on the FSB News page.

– Barack Obama not only joined Rick Reilly for some fantasy football in Week 6, he apparently got serious about it. John McCain is reportedly wondering how many positions Sammy Baugh is allowed to play.

– Razzball ranks the 20 biggest busts among pitchers in fantasy baseball 2008. Of course, if you drafted a guy or two on the list, you might not want to relive your disappointment.

– eMarketer reports that 63.4 percent of Americans use the internet at least once a month and projects a rate that should reach 70 percent around 2014.

– The completion of an audit by the Media Rating Council reportedly gives Nielsen a step in its race with comScore to be the first accredited Web-audience ratings service.

– Through all the talk of social media and Web 2.0 principles, a survey by Forrester Research finds that business-to-business marketers stick to their traditional methods.

– BetAmerica.com is betting on fantasy football to draw consumers to its new parlay contest.

– As online ad sales continue to be troubled, Yahoo is supposedly close to cutting a bunch of jobs in that area.

The online gaming industry is gaining women, particularly at each end of the age spectrum, according to studies by comScore.

According to the research, passed along by eMarketer, female participation in online gaming overall rose 27 percent in August from the same month in 2007, totaling nearly 43 million users. The particular age demographics that showed the largest growth, however, may carry the biggest surprise.

The largest increase, 55 percent over August 2007, came among girls aged 12 to 17, according to the report. The group that exhibited the second highest growth rate was that of women aged 55 to 64. That crowd still presented the fewest total gamers among the six groups reported on, but it’s certainly worth noting that participation increased by 43 percent among the AARP-eligible.

Although the study specifically applies to online gaming and doesn’t touch fantasy participation, the news that more women are online playing should certainly interest anyone trying to grow the market for their online product. Whether you’re seeking more players to take part in your fantasy golf competition or trying to reach out to a new set of advertisers, women are proving that they deserve your attention.

As you can see in the table at the bottom of this article (which accompanied the eMarketer report) the age group that ranked third in growth was 18 to 24. If you combine them with the 12-to-17 range, you find nearly 10 million young females playing online games. Further research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project determined that more than half of teen girl gamers include sports and strategy games in their online play. On top of that, the Pew findings indicate that socialization is a significant motivator for these online pursuits. If there are two things that we know drive fantasy participation, it’s socializing with your leaguemates and taking control of an entity (team, business, etc.).

These rising numbers of female — particularly young female — gamers can be seen both as motivation and fuel for the emergence of female-targeted fantasy competitions that steer away from sports. As has been reported on this site, there are now multiple outlets pursuing the female market with celebrity- and fashion-based games.

Of course, to assume that all women are primarily interested in clothing lines and movie stars would be foolish. This year’s Ipsos study for the Fantasy Sports Trade Association found that 20 to 25 percent of fantasy sports players are women. Especially in this day when it’s easier for a female athletic role model to emerge, that section of the fantasy sports market could be capable of growth as well.

As you plan for the next few years, make sure that you don’t overlook the feminine side.