Being free from gambling requires making a good decision and standing by it and it takes a long while for one to be free from gambling which depends on what the person gamble for, if it's plainly for fun and the person is discipline with their bankroll then the person can be free from it but a situation where the person is addicted and can't control their habits then it's going to be hard for such gambler to be free from gambling forever except otherwise.
A player who has been gambling for a long time will not just quit gambling. And simply resisting your desire to play is not the right choice, because it will not go away and then you will have a feeling that you are limiting yourself against your will. It is better to limit your budget, play for small stakes and try to do it as rarely as possible. Find other sources of income, find another hobby so that it takes up more of your time, this is the best way, if there is such a task - to get away from gambling.
I have been gambling for quite a long time already, and more time comes, the less I want to play. In the past I was seriously interested in playing online poker, I loved free roll tournaments a lot and low stakes texas holder used to steal hours of my evening. I think around 20 years ago, poker was more than a hobby to me, but rather a financial bonus. But with time I start to feel cold for poker or gambling. I dont see anything new for me in it. I can say that I am lucky (and I think God saved me from busting all the money) because gambling never managed to turn me addicted, I barely had gambling budget (mostly I gambled with random amounts). I did not even had to resist desire to play. If I wanted, I gambled. With all that background I feel like I can quit (more correct pause, as I dont believe in such long future planning) without any harm, pity, hesitation. So all I am saying that everything comes from a person, if a person wants, he will never be addicted.