Religiosity and Online Gambling Addiction: A Serial Mediation Model of Perceived Social Support and Life Satisfaction within the Framework of Conservation of Resources Theory.

This study aimed to examine the serial mediating roles of perceived social support and life satisfaction in the relationship between religiosity and online gambling addiction within the framework of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. A total of 771 individuals (34.4% female, 65.6% male) aged between 18 and 69 years (M = 31.98, SD = 10.42) participated in the study. Data were collected using the Religiosity Scale, the Internet Gambling Addiction Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Correlation analyses indicated that online gambling addiction was negatively associated with religiosity, perceived social support, and life satisfaction, whereas positive relationships were found among religiosity, social support, and life satisfaction. Serial mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Macro Model 6. The results revealed that religiosity showed a significant negative total association with online gambling addiction; however, this direct association became non-significant when mediators were included in the model. Perceived social support and life satisfaction both significantly mediated this relationship, and the serial mediation pathway was also found to be significant. The findings suggest that higher religiosity is associated with lower levels of online gambling addiction through greater perceived social support and life satisfaction. Consistent with COR theory, the results indicate that the accumulation of social and psychological resources may be associated with lower vulnerability to behavioral addictions. The study contributes to the literature by offering a resource-based and process-oriented explanation of the relationship between religiosity and online gambling addiction and provides implications for prevention and intervention programs.