Gambling, as you said, requires steady compliance to our gambling strategy. But the addicts are not allowed enough luxury to change the way they think. Only few people with steady self examination can detect a change of habit. It's best seeking help from anybody close to them, once a player figures out his living an addictive lifestyle. But online gambling sidetracks them from going for help. Due to its portability. Hence, the player will hide his problem, with the goal of solving it himself. Not all gambler will handle compulsive gambling all to themselves.
Since they do not know exactly that their behavior is wrong, they'll think losing profusely is right. That's why the person is expected to engage in games like chess online. It's preferably effective. As the player is conversant with indoor gaming. Introducing him directly to outdoor games like volleyball, table tennis etc he could find it hard to visit all the times. He may not be good in the game, hence he wouldn't enjoy it. There are mobile games like chess that helps critical thinking which can get hold of the addict's interest for a long time. Just like gambling does to him.
Gambling addicts will find it difficult to change their habits and way of thinking because they will not think about other things apart from gambling. But if they realize that there is something wrong with them and start looking for it, they will find that they have a gambling addiction and need to cure their gambling addiction.
But everything will come back to the gambling addicts because not many can look inside themselves to find or introspect what they have done. Most of the gambling addicts will get deeper into gambling and will not look at anything else because it is not important to them.
People who cannot control themselves when gambling have the potential to experience gambling addiction. That is why we must avoid gambling excessively.
Yes, the opportunity for self examination is not available for all gambling addicts. Sometimes it gets too compulsive for the player that he wouldn't comply to his decisions anymore. It's crucial that players have conversations with non gamblers once a while to know if they is any new changes in their habit. Personally looking into those changes is not always possible for every addict. People around the player are the right ones to detect such changes. Gamblers also develop the feelings of hiding their new discovery from others.
Not every player who is aware of his addiction will come straight to tell others about their pains and problem. Hence, controlling the impulse to gamble will be very hard on them. Emotionally it's not the addict's fault, he's only getting controlled by his feelings and thinks gambling secretly can help them out of addiction. Not knowing it's the worse form of handling addiction. That's why most of them get more addicted to the game, such that it's almost impossible to get better unless when intervened by other people.