gambling

noun

gam·​bling ˈgam-b(ə-)liŋ 

: the practice or activity of betting : the practice of risking money or other stakes in a game or bet

illegal gambling

compulsive gambling

Then, within the past 18 months, after the explosion in Internet gambling … and the cable TV debut of the World Poker Tour, the game took off again.

—Walter Kirn

—often used before another noun

a gambling game

gambling regulations

a gambling empire

Examples of gambling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brain imaging studies of people diagnosed with internet gaming or social media disorders have shown structural and functional changes in these regions that resemble what doctors see in gambling and other behavioral addictions. —Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026

But the gambling companies take in revenue directly from each wager, unlike the social-media apps, which make money by selling advertising. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 Mar. 2026

At least 20 lawsuits have been filed by states and gaming regulators arguing that prediction markets offer a gambling loophole and should be state-regulated. —Justin Papp, CNBC, 26 Mar. 2026

Eight University of Mississippi counselors have already received the certification to better equip them to identify gambling addiction in students, the researchers said. —Michael Goldberg Mississippi Today, Arkansas Online, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gambling

• anti-gambling

Rhymes for gambling

• ambling
• scrambling
• shambling