If someone has already accepted their gambling addiction and managed to stop gambling, it is synonymous with willpower.
But the paradox is that if you have the strength and conviction to stop gambling, anyone could come to the conclusion: "Why not just control it and that's it, without needing to quit gambling completely?".
Which brings us to this questions:
Is it harder to control gambling or limit it without falling into excess than to stop gambling forever?
Why is the effective strategy not moderation but absolute abstinence?
There is no paradox here. This is a medical situation of someone who is sick. One problem with addicts in recovery is that they have the trouble of accepting that they have ruined this activity for themselves for the rest of their life.It is the same for drinking, doing drugs, gambling and other addictions. Once you get addicted, if you want to quit you must quit for the rest of your life. You can never leisurely enjoy it again. It is your fault for putting yourself into this position, and now you must accept the consequences of your actions.
An ex-addict can never control himself with his previous addiction.