What I want to know is: Did I do a good job by using gambling to save him? Or do I just make him have an interest in gambling as a source of income?
What you did is great. You are generous. But the man needs to realize that what he did is too risky although it is not easy. Maybe he even has loan borrowed already and thinking of not borrowing or maybe no one wanted to borrow him money. But if possible he can get a loan from a friend, I think it is the best way than to gamble with the little amount of money that he has with him.
Gambling is a very dangerous thing so one should never think of gambling in bad times. If you think about it, if you are faced with some debt and then you think that if you gamble with a small amount of money and make a big profit and pay off your debt with it, do you think it is a good decision? Gambling will never guarantee you winning no matter how good your strategy is. So when you make this decision and start gambling if you lose your money how will you repay the loan later? You should always be responsible when it comes to gambling and never think of gambling in bad times. Gambling should be played only when you are financially strong and you need some entertainment