As ridiculous as it may sound, this is exactly what is happening. We want to get a lot out of the money we're aiming for, which we're not even sure will be available in the future. This is not limited to gambling, but a gambler will think like this more because his expectations will always be optimistic in the context of winning a game. Your friend is a true gambler if he places so much hope in gambling and fulfilling so many of his life goals. He needs to start a business so that he can tip people on prospective games to win when they play one.