Sports Gambling among Iranians: A Test of Control and Rational Choice Theories. Issue 5 (3rd May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Masoomeh (Shamila) Shadmanfaat, Seyyed; Cochran, John K.; Allen, Scott F.; Toth, Alex G.; Kabiri, Saeed
• Is Part Of: Deviant behavior. Volume 41:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: 591
• Page End: 606
• Publication Date: 2020-05-03
• Subjects: Deviant behavior -- Periodicals; 302.54205
• DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2019.1580252
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0163-9625

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Gambling on sporting events is an illegal activity in Iran, and this phenomenon is widespread. Taking its point of departure from Control and Rational Choice Theories, this study examines the effects of self-control, social bonding, and rational choice on both gambling behavior and pro-gambling orientations. From a sample of 417 gamblers from the city of Rasht (the capital city of the Guilan province, one of Iran's largest cities) and using structural modeling analysis, we investigated how various theoretically derived parameters predict gambling behavior and gambling orientations. The results showed significant, negative associations between our latent variables (self-control, social bonding, and rational choice) and respondents' self-reported gambling behavior and pro-gambling orientations. Moreover, self-control, social bonding, and rational choice combined to account for 54% of the variance of self-reported gambling and 49% of the variance in respondents' pro-gambling orientations. Measures of the total standardized effects showed that self-control was more strongly associated with both gambling behavior and a pro-gambling orientation than either social bonding or rational choice.