It's about compulsive gambling, but probably in older times almost all gamblers were gambling addicts. That's because people weren't cultured much in the past, and hence they were greedy and envious beyond measure. They could put at stake their children and wife , they could easily kill out of rage. Only a few people are like that these days. Because of the education today we have higher level of morale than people used to have in the past. And that's why we can be responsible gamblers.
There are many historical references to compulsive habits along the story, some of them affecting kings and emperors. I guess
it is in human nature to look for things that thrill and cause good instant gratification. But it is not less true that it is human nature to look for a better version of ourselves, so if anyone fall for compulsions it may be corrected with some help.
Yes, but in the nature of pigs too. So, it's not in our
human nature, but rather in our animal nature to look for instant gratification. There's nothing wrong with that. Humans are animals, after all, and thus we can't stop being animals completely. We need those instant gratifications for our physical survival. But if we want them constantly and permanently, like gambling and drug addicts, we are more like pigs than humans.