You are correct, if someone very young becomes addicted to gambling he or she can erase is dreams in life and go the route of gambling thinking that it will bring them everything they needed in this world.
When things start happening in a way that they don't expect, they might not quit, they might keep pushing harder until nothing works out like they wanted, and this could change them completely, starting all over again in the real world will be so hard to do.
Gambling messed with the mind and the way we think, only if you allow it, but if you are someone who already knows the odds of getting lucky in gambling, you ain't going to ever fall under the rug for gambling, I would rather get addicted to my career in the real world, as a fashionist but not gambling.
Maybe some can erase it but there are some who don't. It's just that gambling consumes them so they don't have time anymore to work on their dreams (if it's not becoming a gambling professional). Young people still have plenty of time and they can still correct their path later on but it's not a good excuse to start it poorly.
Playing gambling in a casino can provide us entertainment and money, and sometimes love if there are women on it but it's not all. There are still other things in life that we need that can't be found in on it. To be addicted in to something even if you say it's a profitable hobby is still not right but everything in this world must have a balance.