Personal, Social, and Media Factors Influencing Football Gambling, Gambling Risk, and Impacts on the People in Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

Chiang Mai Province faces ongoing football gambling problems and consistent arrest statistics, reflecting those residents are at risk of gambling addiction. This research aimed to study the general characteristics, football gambling behaviors, risk of gambling addiction, influencing factors, and impacts under the framework of Football Gambling, Social Learning Theory, Uses and Gratifications Theory, and Technological Determinism. Data were collected from 400 respondents who had engaged in football gambling using convenience sampling. A questionnaire and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) were used as research instruments, considering research ethics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. The results showed that most football gamblers were male and initiated gambling due to peer influence. More than half were at risk of football gambling addiction. Personal, social, and media factors strongly influenced football gambling behaviors, including enjoyment, peer influence, and betting odds. Moderate impacts were reported, such as stress and insomnia. Hypothesis testing indicated that individuals who had won or lost large amounts of money had a higher risk of gambling addiction than other groups. All three factors were positively associated with gambling risk. Multiple regression analysis showed that these factors significantly predicted the risk of football gambling addiction (Adjusted R² = .257, F = 20.751, p < .001). This study proposes the G-SHIELD (Gambling Shield) Model as a theoretical framework and policy measures to prevent and address football gambling problems, aiming to reduce risks at the individual, family, social, and media levels.