Playing excessively often leads to an addictive behavior which one cannot avoid because if we become addicted to something then it becomes very difficult for us to leave therefore gambling should be thought of as a hobby but should not alter this hobby into addiction.
Anything that will be considered hobby can be easily addictive, infact there is a close line between hobby and addiction and this line is the major problems with gamblers as they do not try to differentiate the two from each other hence leading them into serious addiction.
If you ever want to gamble and not get addicted to you then you have to start learning to take a break in gambling, not only when you lose that you have to take a break but also when you feel like it's not too important for you to gamble. Some time ago I gambled regular with out season or time but I discovered that it's becoming a very habit to gamble so I took a break and after some time I went back again hence I don't feel the urge to gamble as before. This self-control is a big initiative to know in the line or addiction and hobby.
In fact, if it is considered a hobby, gambling behavior is a bad thing because you will deliberately force your brain when you have free time and or feel bored to do gambling because you will certainly think that it is because of my hobby, it is the cultivation of the wrong mindset in classifying gambling in life, you should still consider gambling as a place of entertainment that you occasionally go to, like beaches and other things to spend money and look for the fun you can get.
People are addicted to thinking that I will get a big fortune, get a win with a bigger return on money and yes starting from there, someone who has a gambling addiction they will always always have expectations of victory and abundant money in an easy way, even though it's not that simple, which in the end they continue to experiment with the game every day and try to pit their luck, just try to ask every gambler who does gambling activities more often, they hope for what, surely answer to get the big money that he might be able to have from the casino. So the way to prevent it is to stop expecting.