That's true. Investments in meme coins aren't less than gambling because you know that you are buying a coin that isn't backed by a proper project, it doesn't have much to offer to the community because it doesn't serve any purpose, and the only way you can get some profit if the coin manages to get enough attention and hype within the market and in case that doesn't happen, the few million coins that you've bought will just sit idle in your portfolio.
So, those who invest in meme coins already know the risk, and if some don't know, the research can only educate them about the risks involved with the investment and then if they are okay with it, they will go for it or simply change their decision and invest the money in another altcoin instead.
You are right in your confession that meme coins are like gambling. Before investing in them it is important for investors to know the risks. Meme coins usually do not have a strong project foundation and may not be valuable to the community. Their success depends on market attention and hype which can be unpredictable and shortlived. So always be careful before investing. Many are their which are just making hype and getting more people for investment. After that we see a big dump and people will lost money. So always invest that amount which you can easily afford and if you lose that money so it doesn't effect on your personal life.