Well I think it is very much possible to live a very comfortable and stable life from gambling and I've seen and I know personally someone who lives atkeast a comfortable life totally off gambling and some little business raised from gambling proceeds. He had a daughter nf a wife and lives in his own house and not rent and he also drives a car and also owns over two unisex saloons and all these were proceeds from gambling and what really matters is how well we live our lives when we make big wins.
I'm sorry your friend got carried away but the truth is that he never made judicious use of his winnings and that was why he went back to trenches and not necessarily because he was a gambler.
But there are only a few who can be successful in making gambling their source of living. The person you know is part of the small percentage who can really make money in gambling. This might inspire some who like to pursue their journey, but setting a limit is very important because it's only for the small percentage, and we can't force ourselves to be a part of it if we don't have the necessary skills.
With luck, you might win, but when we talk about consistent winning, skills are required.