For me, gambling is just another form of socialization but somehow some people will seriously make this as another profitable job(which they are wrong). Some of us have fall into addiction cause they'll never control themselves and so the government let this things happen.
Unless you made a right decision not to fall in gambling too much that will result to gambling addiction. Once a person started to learn then that person will have a hard time to stop being addicted in gambling for example. You are right about another kind of socialazation but it can also put you into a real mess which is hard to overcome and start worrying other things that will result in great stress and worst possible to happen is you'll be penniless.