Mobile sports betting habits: predicting future betting behavior with the reasoned action approach

Mobile sports betting has become an increasingly popular way to gamble in the United States. Many studies have examined general attitudes and beliefs regarding gambling, but relatively few have focused on American’s mobile sports gambling. Mobile sports betting is unique in its accessibility and options for users to consider when placing bets, which makes this form of gambling different from traditional forms. The purpose of the present studies was to examine the social cognitive predictors participation in mobile sports betting using the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA; Fishbein & Ajzen, 2010). Two studies were conducted: The first was an elicitation study designed to identify the most salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs regarding mobile sports betting, and to conduct an initial test of the degree to which attitude, perceived normative pressure, and perceived behavioral control predict behavioral intentions. The second study examined the predictive validity of the identified salient beliefs and tested whether future betting behavior can be predicted from the model. Overall, the RAA significantly predicted sports betting intentions and future behavior. Important beliefs that contributed to mobile gambling included the behavior being fun to do, gambling being accessible with a phone and internet connection, and the impression and/or reality that family members engage in the behavior. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.