An 18 - year - old in a gambling story might be someone who was naive and thought gambling was an easy way to make money. He could have started small, like betting on sports games. But as time went on, he got addicted. He might have started skipping school or work to engage in gambling activities, which eventually led to problems in his relationships and finances. For example, he could have borrowed money from family and friends and not been able to pay it back.
Well, if it's an 18 - year - old gambling story, perhaps the young person was exposed to gambling in an unexpected way. Maybe he visited a casino - like place legally (in some areas with lax regulations) just out of curiosity. There, he saw people winning big and got tempted. He began to bet his own money, not realizing the odds were against him. As a result, he lost a significant amount of money that he couldn't afford to lose, like money saved for college or other important things in life. And this experience might serve as a cautionary tale for other young people to stay away from gambling.