Motivational Factors Affecting University Students’ Participation in Sports Betting

This study was conducted to determine the motivations for gambling among university students who participate in sports betting. The sample of the research consists of 137 students (mean age 22±54) studying at Ardahan University. The data collection tools used in the study included a personal information form and the “Gambling Motivation Scale” developed by Chantal et al., and adapted to Turkish by Karlı, comprising 28 items assessing motivations for gambling. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out using computer software. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test indicated that the data were normally distributed. Arithmetic mean (x), frequency (f), Independent Samples t-test for pairwise comparisons, and one-way ANOVA test for comparisons of means across more than two groups were applied to analyze the data. The research findings revealed significant differences in gambling motivation levels among university students based on variables such as the degree of addiction, frequency of betting, and the duration of betting participation.