I think it has to do with the anonymity and the fact that it doesn't 'feel' like gambling with money that makes it so popular.
The primary reason for the gambling to be successful is due to the never ending greed of persons who think that gambling is where they can get huge money and forgetting that the site/casinos exists to make money for themselves and not to make their participants rich. Only if you go for enjoyment and lose then its fine else people will get addictive and lose out huge chunk of money and make the gambling owner more rich.