If you want to gamble, see it more like you are paying the casino or gambling platform to have some fun (just like you do to go watch some movies in cinema), which if you are paying for anything, you are not meant to expect it back.
If every gambler thinks this way, no one will go home with a sad face thinking that they we're robbed by the gambling site. Problem with other gambler is they made gambling their way of life, they make a living out from it, daily they go to casinos or visit gambling sites thinking they can beat the system and get profits.
The addiction to gambling is very serious. When you are very interested in gambling, you will ignore life around you and always on the gambling website every day with the purpose to earn money, but it's impossible. So that if you want to join the gambling, you should arrange the time reasonably to balance between life and game.
Yes it is serious but it is not that kind of serious, maybe in cinemas but not in real life.
There are a lot of gambling addicts every where especially if you have a gambling places close, in our country there are also people that is addict on gambling but not really like what you just said. Cockfighting is one of the most popular gambling in our place or maybe in our country. It is not that bad since the government can control the addiction of it by limiting the gambling times in a week or some days.