The most desperation sets in when they believe they will make it in life with gambling or want to win back what they've lost by all causes but this often ends in more losses and will eventually cause the person to lose his mind. Your friend was desperate but thankfully luck shone on him and managed to gain much to stabilise and pay back his debts. Many are not this lucky and I would have loved it if I could read more on this story as I am sure that it can't end well for him if he continues like that, he's just lucky this time. Gambling must be pursued sensibly and responsibly, not with desperation.
You are right about gambling having to be done wisely and responsibly. We probably won't be as lucky as his friend, who got a lot of money to pay back his debt. But if we are lucky enough to get that money, we have to realize that we don't need to gamble anymore and end it immediately before everything changes again. From that story, we should avoid borrowing money from other people and not gamble because there is no guarantee we can win unless we are lucky like his friend. And it's best if you want to gamble, you use your own money so that if you lose, you don't have any risk except losing the money and not having to pay back any borrowed money.