Abstract
The current study investigated what influences college students’ behavioral intention and behavior towards sports gambling using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a theoretical framework. The study also explored the moderation effect of problem gambling severity in the relationships between TPB determinants, behavioral intention, and sports gambling behavior. Data were collected from 334 college students from four different universities in the U.S. and analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis. The results indicated that attitude was the most critical determinant of college students’ sports gambling intentions, followed by the subjective norms, while both behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of sports gambling behavior. The study also found some meaningful moderation effects of problem gambling severity. Subjective norms were influential on college students with greater problem gambling severity, while attitude was the strongest predictor of recreational sports gamblers. Suggestions on prevention and treatment programs regarding sports gambling and problem gambling are discussed.
Highlights
Given the lasting influence of problem gambling and the increase in the size of the sports gambling industry, it is critical to understand what influences college-aged individuals’ sports gambling behavior, especially given the negative personal, societal, economic, and health ramifications of problem and at-risk gambling [1,2,3]
It should be pointed out that the perceived behavioral control (PBC) scale used in this study has been empirically established and tested for reliability and validity in previous studies
The measurement model and measures were used without further modification
Summary
Given the lasting influence of problem gambling and the increase in the size of the sports gambling industry, it is critical to understand what influences college-aged individuals’ sports gambling behavior, especially given the negative personal, societal, economic, and health ramifications of problem and at-risk gambling [1,2,3]. While most of those who gamble or bet on sports participate in gambling activities for light entertainment and socialization, some become involved in gambling activities too much and become addicted to gambling. National Health Services (NHS) found from the ‘Health Survey for England
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