People smoke cigarettes, they drink alcohol, they bet. All are losing propositions in multiple ways. There is no scenario where you can stop any of it. You can

People smoke cigarettes, they drink alcohol, they bet. All are losing propositions in multiple ways. There is no scenario where you can stop any of it. You can make it harder and more costly but they will do it anyway. Some gamblers have discovered the stock market (especially call options) as a way to bet. The nice thing about that is your downside can be limited and nobody is going to "shut you down" like a casino if you win too much. I'm not a big casino gambler but I know how to play blackjack (not counting) and have won enough to be shadowed and proofed every 5 minutes in a casino to bother me when I was young. They send a clear message - your loses are unlimited but your gains are capped!