I completely agree with your perspective. Playing games in a casual, friendly setting really strips away the high pressure elements. I think it's more about enjoying the time together the absence of serious consequences in friendly games keeps it all in good fun.
Playing games in a relaxed atmosphere usually doesn't matter about winning or losing because a person or group of people is enjoying their holiday or spending their free time with their friends. I sometimes do things like that, although not too often because I'm hampered by my own personal busyness, but things like that are quite fun, especially if our friends have the same frequency in playing the game regardless of winning or losing.
I guess this is the most enjoyable part of gambling when you visit a physical casino with your friends and enjoy the time. Even if you do excessive gambling on that occasion it is bearable because you do not gather with your friends often and at that time those friends can relax and gamble more than they would usually gamble, if they were not together. In such times, if you lose a bit more or gamble like addcitive gambler, it is no harm because we know that this time does not repeat often.
I sometimes do such activities and it is the most memorable time of my life, spent with friends and gambling at the same time. The fun usually become double when people won in such times and then the friends can move out of casino with money in hand and enjoy a lunch or dinner together with the winning amount.