Gambling requires no ingestion of chemicals. It's usually not perceived as a disease.
Fewer resources are available for compulsive gamblers and their families.
It often causes tremendous financial problems, which require immediate attention in treatment. Compulsive gamblers are functional at work. A gambling prevention message is not as easily accepted as a drug prevention one. They do not stumble around or slur their words. Compulsive gambling is, however, just as debilitating as alcohol or drug addiction.