Predictors of Sports Gambling among College Students: The Role of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Problem Gambling Severity

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.