If you want to borrow money, there must be a collateral. If there is not collateral, there must be one or more guarantors. I do not think anyone can be a guarantor of a gambler. It is the father that have the debt and if he dies, his family will pay with the properties or works that the father left on earth. I do not think the son have any problem with his own property. That is why it is good to have your own property and be independent.
Are you talking on behalf of other families or just yours? Because every families are different, and that includes culture too, a family member died and his son cleared all his late fathers debt, none of the families care about doing this, so if OP is curious about a son inheriting the debt if his late father it's highly possible.
There are situations where families don't care about someone, they only reveal themselves after the person passed, and that's it, no help from their side to even lay the late father to rest, some families are this useless and I've seen a lot.
OP, lets not just create problems for those around us, make sure you pack all your shits yourself before you are gone, let your pain be on you only, let it end with you, not your son, not your families, and they will pray for you, if you leave too much debt, some of them will lay curse on you.