How gaming motivation is associated with entrepreneurial passion: a sequential mediation model of entrepreneurial curiosity and self-efficacy

Entrepreneurial passion is a vital emotional catalyst for chance exploration, perseverance, and venture establishment; nevertheless, its development prior to entrepreneurial involvement is not well comprehended. Simultaneously, digital gaming has emerged as a widespread pursuit among young, especially in Saudi Arabia, where elevated game engagement aligns with national initiatives to foster entrepreneurship under Vision 2030. Notwithstanding this convergence, current research has predominantly neglected to examine the extent to which non-business digital behaviors influence the development of entrepreneurial enthusiasm. This study aims to bridge this gap by developing and empirically testing a sequential cognitive model that connects gaming motivation to entrepreneurial passion via entrepreneurial curiosity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The model incorporates concepts from Self-Determination Theory, Information-Gap Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and identity-based passion theory. Employing covariance-based structural equation modeling on survey data from 435 young adults in Saudi Arabia, the results indicate that gaming motivation positively predicts entrepreneurial curiosity and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, whereas entrepreneurial curiosity significantly boosts self-efficacy. Curiosity and self-efficacy significantly enhance entrepreneurial passion. Conversely, gaming motivation does not exert a substantial direct influence on entrepreneurial enthusiasm, suggesting that passion does not stem solely from digital interaction but rather arises from curiosity-driven inquiry and faith in one’s capabilities. This study enhances entrepreneurship research by recognizing gaming motivation as a non-business precursor to entrepreneurial passion, identifying entrepreneurial curiosity as a crucial cognitive mechanism in the formation of passion, and situating these processes within a youth-driven entrepreneurial transformation. The results establish digital gaming as a scalable psychological asset for the development of entrepreneurial human capital in digitally intensive economies.