All My Friends Are Doing It: Perceived Social Norms Predict Heavier Sports Betting Behavior Among Young Adults.

This article examines the role of perceived social norms—specifically injunctive norms (perceptions of friends' approval) and descriptive norms (perceptions of friends' actual wagering)—in influencing sports betting behaviors among young adults in the United States. Using a longitudinal design with 221 young adult sports bettors, the study found that higher perceived peer approval predicted increased frequency of betting, while higher perceived peer wagering predicted greater amounts wagered and more negative consequences related to sports betting. The findings suggest that normative misperceptions about friends' sports betting behaviors may contribute to increased personal betting and associated harms, highlighting social norms as a potential target for prevention and intervention efforts. Limitations include reliance on self-report data, a focus solely on young adults, and the need to explore other referent groups and contextual factors influencing sports betting norms.