I chased money playing poker for about 2 years. Mostly online, but sometimes live charity games and trips to the casino. I was never a full blown addict, but the online play fueled my alcohol consumption in a big way. I was bartending at the time and I'd get home around 2AM and play poker until dawn, drinking margaritas. It sounds manic and ugly, but it was a lot of fun, if I'm honest. Just really unhealthy. I saw some desperate people at the casino and I think that's what scared me away from playing. That and I lost about 3-4K USD over 24 months. Which could have been much more if I kept chasing. I haven't played in years and don't miss it at all.
I'm glad I never did much sports betting because I love sports and enjoy the thrill of gambling. And it makes watching the games you bet on much more interesting. I heard a couple of horror stories in Boston. One was a cop, a father of three kids, who offed himself with his service pistol in his cruiser because he was so deep in the hole. They found him not far from my house at the time.