INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISEMENTS ON SPORTS BETTING AMONG LEAD CITY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

The study examined the influence of social media advertisements on sports betting among students at Lead City University. Social learning theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted, and 369 respondents were randomly selected as sample. A self-structured questionnaire was used to gather data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive. The study revealed that the majority of respondents frequently engage in sports betting for profit. Also, the majority of respondents frequently consider sports betting as a potential source of income. Findings further revealed that the majority of respondents sometimes engage in sports betting for the fun of it. It was further revealed that the majority of respondents do not distract themselves from sports betting by engaging in other activities. The study recommends that educational campaigns should be conducted to raise awareness about the potential risks and financial consequences of sports betting, especially among young people and regulatory bodies should enforce stricter controls on sports betting advertisements, particularly on social media, to limit their influence on vulnerable individuals.