A lot of the time gambling doesn’t start on its own it arises from deeper behaviors or dependencies. When someone’s already chasing highs through drinking or smoking it’s easy for gambling to slide in as another escape.
Tackling the underlying addictions first can significantly transform the thinking and help break the chain. It’s everything connected and just quitting one item without addressing the others rarely works.
The person who is serious about changing his habits needs to really find the root cause why he is being addicted into this activity. That is true, quitting one item won't do it. He should cover all angles in order for him to really address his situation. Otherwise, he is just like having a band-aid solution to his problem.