- This is good. You would have been laid off if they had hired you. Layoffs during mergers are extremely common. You should avoid interviewing at companies that are merging in the future.
- I don't think gambling should be illegal, but it does hurt a lot of people. You may find that working for a gambling company hurts your employment prospects in the future. I would suggest avoiding companies in industries that either are harming society or are popularly thought to be harming it (gambling, porn, Meta, etc.)
Interviewing sucks. I suppose the only good thing about it is that because it's a game it can be gamed. But honestly, the best jobs come from when someone picks up the phone (metaphorically), either you or previous colleagues. Worst case is a "no, not right now", best case is a win-win. Defo keep in touch with people you enjoy working with. It takes time and effort, and I neglected it for years. But it's also a skill that can be learned/practised.
yes, interviewing sucks. both sides of the table.