Denial is one of the traits or should I say attributes that follows an addicted person, not all gamblers have the will power to admit that they are actually suffering from gambling problems and hiding a problem just makes it harder because the solution to the problem too will be far from coming. In all the times I have being with gambler who have such problems, I have come to realize that it's actually a common thing for such people but the only way to get to them is to act directly to the problem without you waiting for them to admit to the addiction issue.
Denial steps in when the individual isn’t ready to accept the responsibility and outcome of where his/her actions has led them to. And in most cases, it’s really difficult to get an addicted person to readily admit his/her addiction problems.
When someone that’s addicted admits on having a problem, such person has unwittingly taken the first step towards quitting such habits and has hopped on the road towards getting better. You can’t get better if you don’t first acknowledge the problem as no one would readily and openly accept to being an addict