I gambled in sobriety for a number of reasons including the most important core one. Firstly, the people that design slot machines and casinos make it as desirable as possible. I thought I was too smart and not imature enough to be excited by flashing lights and all the noises, etc. Getting a win, no matter how much it cost, became emotionally soothing. And then like chocolate, alcohol etc, you get caught up in it.
The main core reason for me, was it allowed me to avoid general uncomfortable feelings I had about my life. I had a lot of unresolved behaviour that caused problems. Sitting at a slot or in a casino allowed me for that period of time to not think about anything else and winning had a 'soothing' effect on how I felt.
I used to think that uncomfortable feelings meant I was doing something wrong and I would feel guilty because I would 'expect' myself to solve the problem. This was/is how my feelings can become overwhelming. The solution is in accepting that some uncomfortable feelings and imperfection are normal and correctly present.