I’m not referring to the people who gamble once in a blue moon. I’m talking about those who gamble habitually.
How come they’re all such garbage people, with legitimately no exceptions? Take a look at any high-stakes poker table and everyone except maybe the dealer is a de-facto scumbag.
Addicts? I think that’s separate from gambling, but anyone who does it obsessively to the point it makes them a “piece of shit” is is an addict. And it’s an expensive addiction.
I met a guy who had been a pro poker player for years and he was ok, just a person. He quit while he was ahead. I think you do have to be ok with lying to be good at poker, but other than that I don’t think your universal rule holds.