Well, it's not a surprise that gambling has a lot more negative than good effects. It is considered to be a bad recreational activity. Although it is true that you could make a new friends but still it won't guarantee you to have a better lifestyle.
Tell that to people who are playing in poker tournaments and getting all the press attention, girls, sometimes money... That would definitely improve my lifestyle.
If you're sitting in your sweaty underwear and pressing the roll button whole day your lifestyle can't get much worse. I don't think that getting some fresh air will solve the problem.
There are winners and losers! And many of us in the middle, sometimes we win sometimes we lose, that is life not just gambling. Gambling is like any other vice, its good if you know how to control it, if you let gambling to control you then you are in problem, that is the same as with wife at home if you have it, or on your job, you can't allow wife to control you or your boss, you can't allow alcohol to control you. Winners knows the game and they play it for pleasure and for prize, to be a winner you need to be smarter, better then others and if you know how to achieve that with minimum loses then you are a pro.
I hate to see people making prejudice about gambling and they don't know nothing about it. This kind of people judge about everything and they always see negative side first.
Effect of gambling depends form your actions! Its not gambling its you, your attitude makes results in the end. You can blame gambling, or wife, terrible boss on the work, or you can blame what ever you wish but you are responsible for your actions and consequences after!