In my view OP has cosmetic way of looking at things. The shot cut to poverty is loafing and inactive life rather than gambling. Stirring imposed by gambling on people who have active live and have skills to make money in all possible ways may result in enhancing the entrepreneur's streaks relevant to given characters. Thus, all depends on the given character. If the person is lazy per se then the poverty at the end no matter whether he is gambler or not .
You are right, it is strictly an individual mindset to think or generalize that gambling is a short cut to poverty and considering the fact different people tend to approach gambling in different ways. However, it is not gambling itself can make the road shorter for any one but rather the individual approach is exactly what could lead to poverty that is if the person in question is already rich and have chosen to approach gambling the wrong way, but come to think of it, from the op concepts I think the only way gambling will be a short cut to poverty is only when the person in question is already rich and decide to spend most it in gambling without a return instead of investing.