Wildan Haru Pradani, M. Ajril Mually, Anindra Guspa, Rifky Ilham Pratama, M. Arif Alkhawwash
The expansion of online gambling has created growing concerns in emerging economies such as Indonesia. Grounded in self-regulation theory, this study examines the association between self-control and online gambling behavior and tests religiosity as a moderating factor. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 256 Indonesian adults with prior experience in online gambling. Validated Indonesian versions of self-control, religiosity, and gambling symptom scales were administered, and data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Self-control showed a significant negative relationship with online gambling behavior. Religiosity also moderated this association, weakening the effect of low self-control on gambling symptoms, although the size of this effect was modest. These findings extend prior gambling research by highlighting the joint influence of self-regulatory capacity and value-based orientations in a non-Western, highly religious context. The results suggest that prevention efforts should combine self-regulation training with community- and faith-based approaches. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.
Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Faculty of Ushuluddin, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Faculty of Psychology and Health, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia; Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Faculty of Da’wah and Communication, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
