Many people find it difficult to accept who they are and the bad habits that they have, accepting a habit is the first step that will determine if any help offered to you will work. As a gambler, will you find it offensive if you are referred to as a gambling addict? will you easily accept it or try to give excuses like some other people do, saying that they are not addicted to gambling when the signs are clearly there. Do you think identifying as an addicted gambler will make people stereotype you. The answer is different for every gambler here.
This is really true no one wants to accept the bad character they are attributed to, even a thief who clearly sees that he is a thief will still deny it. Addicted gamblers are worse they also deny when people refer to them as an addict and they easily get annoyed when they are being called an addict. I have seen someone fight his friends for calling him an addicted gambler. Being addicted is not a good thing but equally its not that bad when you can accept it and work towards reducing your addiction for it, it may be difficult but not impossible.
I won’t like being called an addict but I won’t find it offensive either. If i am one i would easily accept who i am and work towards reducing it because i will be ashamed when people call me an addict.
It's a shame when you realize and accept that it was true, but like what you said most of those gamblers who still in a denial stage of their addiction they will not accept that and they will get mad at you when you tell them things about their addictions, they are not willing to take that word as they think they can still control and they are just enjoying and trying to kill up some time.
But when they are already in the stage where acceptance is already shining in their minds, that shame will be there and they will seek
help if they are already willing to move away from this addiction.