And what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?
Depriving yourself to gamble will never help in the recovery of gambling addicition. The more you deprive yourself the more you will have the urge to play.
If you really want to stop and escape from addiction, it's better to do it small-steps at a time so your mind and body will be able to adjust properly. Stopping instantly might cause some withdrawal and likely bring you back into gambling again.
Depriving should a gradual process for addicted gamblers because they started to get addicted gradually, expecting them to stop abruptly can be very difficult. The first step for addicts should be to make a decision that they want to stop and from there they can start to reduce gambling activities, gradually and eventually they will fully stop. Gambling addiction deeply affects addicts and most time it won't be easy to get over the habit by themselves alone, they need support of their loved ones and professionals. It is not every addicts that can stop abruptly or gradually by themselves they need the efforts of others to see them through