"It's good to learn from others, so you don't have to learn expensive lessons yourself"
Yes, this is true actually, we don't have to experience everything ourselves to get wise, else acquiring wisdom would take the person seemingly a very long and the cost would be severe, learning from others experiences written down can guide us to the wisdom and knowledge we need within a very short time.
so what saved you from doing stupid in gambling?
I've done stupid things in gambling and have been addicted before, my experience is the reference point that has stopped me from having more ugly dealings in gambling, any time I want to mess up, the thought of going back to my previous experience keeps me in check.