Gambling, Is it really something bad?

I was at Bingo doing my routine mother and daughter bonding session, when i saw a leaflet on how to control a gambling addiction.......... i giggled to myself as walked out thinking about it as i saw numerous people on the fruit machines, feeding them, one after another in went those £1 coins. Surely this wasn't bad behaviour after all it was their own money they were spending...... until the flashing lights and those oh so familiar sounds caught my attention. Just a couple of quid i thought as i popped in my first pound, then another and another and another, i honestly didn't even realised how much id spent until i went for one more and id done £10 in about 5 minutes, still awaiting that glorious jackpot i changed another £10 and off i started again. Wasn't giggling now i was £20 quid down, i wouldn't mind but the jackpot was only £25, then it occurred to me, i was actually addicted to gambling, if only for that evening i was still hooked on feeding the machine. I finally pulled myself away from it and walked round the room, and saw pretty much the same scenario all around, although people had £50 and £100 in their credit counter, i was shocked, how could anyone be that daft as to want to waste £50 quid on a fruit machine........... it got me thinking on other forms of gambling and how easy it is to spend so much money on a whim! The horses (races) was one that sprung to mind, people get in thousands and thousands pounds were of debt sometimes, this is where id say someone had a gambling addiction, and maybe needed to seek help........... According to some its a form of an impulse control disorder, so I'll ask the question Simple slot machines or a big night at the races, is gambling bad behaviour??

Below is a link with useful tips and information on signs of a gambling addiction and some possible forms of treatment which i found quite interesting.
http://helpguide.org/mental/gambling_addiction.htm