The mass appeal of fantasy sports is clear, as more than 41 million players in the U.S. and Canada participate in at least one fantasy league. But the demographic for the fantasy player is fundamentally a game played by white males-more than 80% of all fantasy players are men and more than 90% are white.

In an effort to better understand this demographic breakdown and to discuss ways to widen the appeal of fantasy games, the Fantasy Sports Trade association will discuss this issue at the 2015 Winter Conference, Jan. 15-16 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. At the 4:15 p.m. session on Jan. 16, FSTA President Paul Charchian, president of LeagueSafe, will discuss the reasons why women and African-Americans are not participating in fantasy sports and discuss ways these gender and racial barriers can be overcome.

Joining Charchian on stage will be Dr. Brody J. Ruihley, assistant professor  of sports administration at the University of Cincinnati. The session will focus on identifying specific reasons this important consumer base is not better represented among the fantasy sports player.

The 2015 Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) will hold its annual Winter Conference on Jan. 15-16 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Among the planned events is the FSTA Experts’ League Fantasy Baseball Draft, Live on SIRIUS XM Radio, on Jan. 15 and sessions on fantasy sports legal issues, new product launches and marketing fantasy sports on Facebook. To register for the Winter Conference, go to www.fsta.org.