Playing Sports, Placing Sports Bets? Sports Club Membership, Gambling Norms and Sports Gambling Behavior among Flemish Youth.

In recent years, gambling has become increasingly embedded in sports culture, a phenomenon known as "gamblification", raising concerns about youth exposure to sports betting. This study explores the role of descriptive norms (perceived peer gambling behavior) and injunctive norms (perceived peer approval) within Flemish sports clubs, assessing their impact on youths' (18-25 year old) online sports betting frequency. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey (N = 1,290), results indicated that sports club membership is significantly positively correlated with online sports betting frequency, a relation mediated specifically by descriptive norms. However, injunctive norms did not mediate this relationship. The results of this study suggest a need for targeted prevention strategies within sports clubs.