Anything with high stress involves making the aging process of an individual harsher on the body.

If yout habit to gamble actually makes an already hard life more stressful it's not healthy and you should stop it.
Plus the harshness of poverty is also something very rough. Having to work hard after your money is depleted and you have not enough funds is something that will make your health suffer.

In these cases of course the best action is to quit for good. Hopefully more people in this situation would consider better activities to pursue.