~snip~
I think both gambling and drinking exist in the world of addiction. Just as an addict cannot stop drinking, an addicted gambler takes a long time to stop gambling because they reach a point where they lose their control. Gambling addiction can seriously affect all areas of life consequences of problem gambling include financial loss and bankruptcy. Professional gamblers have fewer negative effects because they avoid temptation.
The term professional simply means that you get paid for what you are doing. Otherwise it's a hobby.
So, a professional gambler is extremely rare. Only a handful of people have actually won money against the casino overall, once you count all the costs.
It's extremely rare, but it can happen.
Now, a lot of people just call themselves professional gamblers, but I think that's just part of the addiction.