I spent a lot of years working in the industry (not casinos) and would alway see the same faces day in day out that would gamble what they could looking for a win. There are people that make a living from gambling although I should say investing from their point of view as they see it . Gamblers unfortunately will remember the winners more than the losers. There is a social side to it at least in UK betting shops, those same gamblers will quite likely see each other in the pub as well.