Looking objectively from above at the situation it was probably not as bad as it seemed at that moment. There is always a way out, a way towards recovery. But like you said, the brain tends to focus on one outcome and intensifies the negative feelings. I don't think it's right to put all the blame on the casinos and the gambling industry. There doctors and institutions that deal directly with gambling addictions, if he really wanted he could have gotten help. Unfortunately he didn't see a way out. Also his parents could have helped and try to convince him to see specialist doctors to better control his spending habits. The parents shouldn't help with paying the debt off, because that could look like a form of enabling. UK is a developed nation that has procedures in place for people who have taken on to much debt and can't repay it anymore. In my country this process takes 4-5 years, and after that all your debt will be written off. It's a tragedy and hopefully helps others in a similar situation to wake up and get help.