Gambling should be taken in a positive way and many gamblers use money to fulfill their hobby, I don't agree to call it wrong if it doesn't go to the point of addiction. You can define the two elements of gambling for fun and gambling for money separately but I think both are more likely to lose money. Most gambling has to do with money. But you have to remember that you will be gambling with a specific limit and you cannot get addicted.
It's hard to separate gambling for fun from gambling for money, as they are usually mixed. However, yes, the main thing is that gambling should be moderate and not turn into an overwhelming habit. In case these limits are followed, the risks of addiction and losses can be minimized. Therefore, optimism and self-discipline are necessary to make gambling a healthy passion.
If gambling can only considered and approached for the fun, thrill and pleasure it's got to offer, then I doubt that many people would be harmed by gambling as it already is now in the gambling space. So many gamblers now gamble for the financial benefits and the gains, and this kind of approach often have disastrous effects and impacts on the gambler, as they begin to involve emotions and sentiments when gambling and this has the ability to influence their gambling decisions.
If gambling is to be safe, then it should at all time considered for the thrill of the game, rather than the monetary benefits it has to offer.
Your point is well taken. If indeed gambling were to be always approached as only a form of entertainment, for the thrill and for fun, probably many people would be safer from its negative effects. When people start gambling for making money, they generally lose control over their emotions that might act as a judgment-caller and, in turn, lead to greater loss. Because it keeps being just a way of having fun and limited in bounds, the odds of addiction and big losses can be curtailed. Thus, keeping pleasure as the primary objective sure can be a healthier way to gamble.