Addiction? Or not, that can’t be it. The reason for rise in gambling activity is because of the increased in unemployment in a society and another reason is the rise in the youths having big aspiration way beyond what can be achievable by them at this young age. So they mostly see gambling as another way to make quick money to satisfy their urge and reach their aspirations faster in their early days as youths. As they continue to grow and have that mindset, while playing the game and winning some while losing some, they don’t know when the addiction sets in and they can’t do without gambling again while still not able to leave it. What the youths are feeling about gambling is what the old ones are feeling but most of them are being pushed to it because of poverty and not an enabling environment for them to thrive in.
Your words about young people who want everything at once and therefore use gambling as a quick way to make money definitely make sense. But in my country, for example, it’s usually middle-aged people who get hooked on gambling—those who have lost their sense of purpose and motivation. For them, the casino isn’t a way to earn money, but rather a way to escape their problems, to forget, and to disconnect. I haven’t seen age statistics on who gambles in casinos, but I often hear that it’s common among military personnel, whose average age is around 45.