~snip~
That open communication can speed up the process, even how tough it is but if both sides are willing to work hand in hand that addiction can be eliminated in a much quicker time frame, I see that there are addicted gamblers who are always denying that problem making it hard for someone to give the help that they needed.
If they can just let it go and try to do other things that may divert their attentions, other activities can lead them away from any gambling related practices.
Creating open communication will require awareness from the gambling addict to want to open himself up and accept the presence of other people who will help him cure his gambling addiction. But if a gambling addict denies and doesn't want to admit that he has a gambling addiction, it certainly won't work and he will still have difficulty curing his gambling addiction. His denial may prevent other people from knowing what a gambling addict should do and how to help him.
But it will depend on the people who want to help him because if they still care about the gambling addict, they will try various ways to divert his attention to gambling. Maybe they won't do it openly because it can keep gambling addicts away. But they will use other approaches to make the gambling addict aware that he has other things he can do.