Many gamblers who suffer from gambling addiction try to think that way, that they are paying the casio. to use their games and to have some fun. However I have seen a colleague of mine who tried to quit gambling by playing free simulators in the internet , Gaminators and Hot fruits simulators and told me , this is it, now I can quit gambling easily.
The reality though was that after playing with simulators for one week he then got to the casino and lost a big amount.The only true way to quit is to ask professional help.
For some people, this may work. It depends on how do you see the casino you are playing. If you are more focused on the profits that you gain (even if these profits are fake) then you have a problem, like your friend. If you are focused on the procedure and not in the amount that you want to accumulate then you can find a way of not losing your money. I think this solution doesn't have application to all gamblers.