If your friends win and then they buy drinks and go to the club with their girlfriends, then that's an achievement they can achieve. Because no matter how small the profit, becuase the reality is that they can still enjoy the results they get from gambling, right? So, try to appreciate every profit you get, but for me personally, at least I can use it for my daily needs and also, I have also managed to buy goods from gambling several times. For example, smartphones, laptops, clothes and several other items. So yes,basically when I win at gambling, then I will use it as much as possible for something useful and not just spend it for fun like your friend experienced.
People have different incentives: for some it is enough to buy a new thing, for others they want to have fun, for others to travel, but all this can be achieved without gambling. I believe that what we like should be in our expenses column from our income, and it should not depend on whether we are successful in gambling or not. If I like to travel, I would like to have the opportunity to do another trip if I manage to win enough money, but even if this does not happen, I will still travel because it is in my plans.