if you tell a gambler who you think is addicted that he or she is an addict, and he or she picks an offense, do not blame such a gambler because it's very possible he or she is yet to realize he's or she's addicted, they can only discover when they decide to stop gambling but realize they are finding it difficult to stop.
Perfectly understandable. A whole lot of addicts wouldn’t actually realize they’re addicts unless being told to their face or perhaps when they’re trying to stop the habit and finds out that it’s not as easy to stop as it initially was when first starting out.
I can understand when an addicted gambler takes offense when being told to his face that he’s addicted. Denial is a phase when the person doesn’t believe he/she can get addicted and denial in itself could hinder any thoughts of trying to get better cause in the mind, there is no addiction to get out of.
Any form of addiction would face a denial stage where they would neglect listening to opinions and observations by the people around them. Most of them are aware that they are spending too much time in gambling but they couldn't notice personally that they are really into gambling addiction. They will surely feel offended and will deny other people's observations as their defense but I don't think telling or informing them that they are already addicted to gambling would stop them from excessive playing.
To occasional gamblers, it will surely hurt their feelings unless it will be delivered in a good manner where they could also explain their side and defend themselves. Of course, most of us are protecting our image and being referred as a gambling addict is a heavy thing for us to bear.