Hi Simon,
Well done on looking for help.
There are many triggers/”reasons” why people might gamble or become addicted. In recovery you can look at your own situation, maybe try counselling etc to look at any underlying issues if that is needed.
The important thing right now isn’t so much the “Why?” as it is to put things inplace to avoid our next bet. After all if we are still in action we are unlikely to be able to address or even recognise any other issues.
Whatever any underlying issue it is also important top realise that gamblign has now become a problem in it’s own right; once we cross the line into addiction there is no reverse gear – we could sort our any and all other issues and we would still be a compuslive gambler.
We can all choose to not place our next bet, one day at a time.
Keep posting, keep reading. You can stop gambling.