It seems to me that in countries with lower living standards, gambling is more widespread strange as that may sound. People believe in even the slightest chance of getting rich. Similarly, in countries at war, I know for sure that soldiers often gamble to relieve extreme stress, and this can lead to serious consequences, since many of them suffer from severely damaged mental health.
I think this is a real thing. In some countries, it can be difficult to find work, and with the economic downturn, people turn to gambling for profit. They look for loopholes or opportunities to get rich, as you said. This gradually leads to many of them becoming like this. Gambling is fine for stress relief, but it can have negative consequences if done excessively, so it shouldn't be done excessively.