~ And personally, I don't consider it any worse than any other option out there as long as you keep it that way, as a small roller coaster to spice up your dull and uninteresting life. In fact, it works just wonders
But unlike so many other options, the problem with gambling is that it is highly addictive, and most people learn it the hard way, after losing something which they didn't expect and didn't plan to lose
I think gambling is no different from other pleasant activities in this regard. People are getting addicted to anything they find enjoyable, be it TV series, fast food, gaming, shopping ... you name it
Yeah, but you obviously don't take into account the consequences
Watching TV, getting hooked on junk food, and even chain smoking don't necessarily have such devastating consequences as gambling so often has. You ask me for an example which will help us relax and that will not be (as) addictive at the same time. I can instantly name one, simple and easily available to everyone. It is reading. Yes, it can be addictive too, but this addiction is nothing compared to the ones mentioned before. And it can be quite useful on its own, apart from being totally entertaining. Even reading the forum will do (just in case, you can stick to reading only my posts as there's a lot of them)
If all you do during your work day is reading and writing, when working in an online support role, for example, you can hardly relax with reading, right? So, what kind of relaxation would you suggest for that kind of people?