Remove the stigma? That is beyond the control of any (unskilled) gambler. You definitely need to talk and be open about your problem, however the better thing to do would be ban or remove yourself from any scenario where you end up near a place of gambling. Maybe take a week or two holiday to a different destination when you've decided to quit, so you can get used to the separation and habits that you may have formed over a long time. That is a really important step to take and one that you can fully control.
Without a doubt removing yourself from your current environment is a good idea as a way to shake things up and avoid the same behaviors that lead you to the path of addiction, however those which are trying to overcome their addiction need to be prepared to do anything in order to improve, and if this means leaving a friendship or other important relationships behind then it has to be done, as there are many people out there that will not want to help the addicted gambler to solve their problem and will keep tempting them to go back to their old habits, and in that case there will only be two options available to them, to keep that relationship but go back to becoming addicted or to loss that relationship but continue on the path of recovery.