<![CDATA[Social influences have long been recognized as important determinants of gambling behavior. Nevertheless, relatively little is known about the role of perceived social norms in shaping behavioral expectations regarding online gambling. Drawing on the Theory of Normative Social Behavior (TNSB), this study investigates how Descriptive norms and Injunctive norms interact in shaping university students' behavioral expectation of trying online gambling. A quantitative explanatory approach with a cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 169 university students using convenience sampling and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that Descriptive norms do not directly influence behavioral expectation. Instead, their influence operates entirely through Injunctive norms, which emerged as both a significant direct predictor and a full mediator. In contrast, Injunctive norms did not moderate the relationship between Descriptive norms and behavioral expectation. These findings highlight the central role of perceived social acceptance in shaping behavioral expectation regarding online gambling and extend the application of TNSB by demonstrating that Descriptive norms may require social approval mechanisms before influencing pre-behavioral cognitive outcomes. The findings also suggest that interventions should focus on correcting misperceptions about the social acceptability of online gambling among university students.]]>
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