Funny enough there is no difference between some who take gambling as a hobby and those who are addicted to gambling. They have one thing in common which is they gamble regularly without limit. And anyone who gambles regularly can be seen as a gambling addict because when there is free time or leisure time the only thing they think about at that moment is gambling.
It is difficult to set limits to what you find as a hobby. Since it has become a part of you, you will prefer spending more time doing that thing than spending it on other things. If gambling is a hobby then it is an addiction, there are no two ways about it. Its just the word that changed but the meaning is the same.
Indeed, the similarity lies in the frequency of their gambling, because people who gamble as a hobby are likely to continue doing it because it is something that can make them happy and those who are addicted to gambling also gamble frequently because of the desire to win big which is the target and that makes them unable to stop gambling. In my opinion, the difference lies in their mindset and response to gambling, maybe people who like gambling can accept themselves when they lose, but those who are purely addicted usually cannot accept the defeat that occurs, sometimes they have a grudge that must be resolved.
With your statement, do you think that people who gamble as a hobby are addicted?
I think some of the many people who gamble out there do gamble as a hobby and have reasonable limits that are set.
It is in their mindset but not with the example you gave. People who gamble for fun will not feel sad and drained because they lost money, they can feel sad for losing a game they played on a normal basis. Just like playing a video game with a friend and we lost during the game. THat is how those who gamble for fun feel sad. While those who gamble to make money are more concerned about the money that was staked on the game. If they lose they think about the money lost. That is what differentiates them. Now with the instances i gave which do you think will be more quick to get addicted? In my opinion the two it all depends on the individual.