It does not matter the least if you are gambling for fun or pleasure. The end is always a win and a loss and many do prefer and worry about the win. The intensity of winning however is not really high when it comes to someone who is looking for fun. A big number of people do it to make quick money. Uncertainty is an inbuilt trait in gambling and to me, it is a risky investment.
Yea I feel like a lot of people are just hoping for that extra $50, real quick. Thinking it's only once and that they'll win because they are lucky. In reality gambling isn't an investment, it's a form of entertainment. It's only entertainment if you look at it that way though, otherwise you will end up feeling frustrated and extremely disappointed in yourself. Despite the "only gamble what you are willing to lose" phrase, people still gamble ending up mad because they lost money.
That is depending on your skills, if you have the skills, you can consider gambling as a form of investment, a gambler would only become successful if he can survive and be profitable in the long term. But of course, this does not count on roulette, dice, and other forms of luck based games as that house edge matters a lot in the run.
One can become a successful sports bettors and that's appropriate to call an investment for him. Just curious, have you seen skill-based gambers who earn consistently from skill-based gambling?
If you are a regular gambler and pay your bills through gambling, kindly reply to this post so we can learn how this is possible.