I believe most gamblers do not recognize themselves as a gambler but they do think like they are making fun out of gambling still they do believe they are not the actual gamblers. Before they are realizing about their addiction, most gamblers are getting addicted to gambling severely. From the point when they are doing self-evaluation, I guess changes to their life will be happening.
I have seen one person very clearly that I am 100% sure that was compulsive gambling... me. I was a lot younger and was probably 7-8 years ago but I personally did gambled a lot back to back without really wanting to do that but couldn't stop myself to chase the losses and eventually lost hundreds of dollars (a lot for me at the time) and to this day I still see it as money well spent because it kept me away from gambling for a long time and even today I do not wager more than 4-20 dollars in any sports or any other gambling thing.
If losing 200 dollars meant that I won't be losing more to gambling in the long term I see that as a good investment to not lose in the future honestly.
It is good that you have admitted being a compulsive gambler because accepting reality will same us from being addicted well at least in my own perspective because the more we deny is the more we cannot leave it.
realization keeps us on the right track and this will never happen if we dont accept being one.
and also we can do it by mistake but living on this?that is the problem because even we already knew the wrong doings still we continues living with this so better change of accept the consequences .