Everyday my friend gambles with his money as same with his life and he always gambling throwing away his money for nothing but losing and the worth part of it is he owes me money 
It depends on how a person plays it, If a person plays it to relieve his/her stress or boredem in other words for fun then it is worth it. But if a person plays it and got addicted to the point that he forgets his responsibilities and even bothering other then it's not and it will certainly ruin one's life .
It's better to seek some help from the authorized persons. Of course help from friends and family too are greatly appreciated.