He's gambled ? The horror ! I'll bet he has had sex with his own wife, too !
I don't think you quite get it. I'm not saying gambling is a horrible sin, but among Mormons it's not something that recommends you. This is a Mormon district he's running in. Right or wrong, the gambling issue isn't going to play well there.
And I wouldn't be quite so cavalier about comparing gambling to marital intimacy or somehow make it out to be so harmless. Marital intimacy draws husband and wife together as a couple and produces families. Gambling on the other hand has ended more than a few marriages and broken up more than a few homes, destroying families and leaving its addicts in financial ruin and even without a home. Ridiculous comparison if you take the time to think about it.