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 nounWalter Kirna gambling game
gambling regulations
a gambling empire
Examples of gambling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The platforms risk exacerbating problem gambling, particularly among young men who are targeted by promotional campaigns.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
And several aldermen who have moved to preemptively ban the machines from their wards have cited issues like gambling addiction and a spike in burglaries targeting the machines in other parts of the state where they are already legalized.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Removing gambling apps from mobile app stores and eliminating push notifications and one-tap access.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The Charlotte Observer used federal campaign finance filings to trace the funding to DK Crown Holdings Inc., the parent of gambling company DraftKings.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
And several aldermen who have moved to preemptively ban the machines from their wards have cited issues like gambling addiction and a spike in burglaries targeting the machines in other parts of the state where they are already legalized.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Removing gambling apps from mobile app stores and eliminating push notifications and one-tap access.
—Suzanne King, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
The Charlotte Observer used federal campaign finance filings to trace the funding to DK Crown Holdings Inc., the parent of gambling company DraftKings.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gambling
Cite this Entry
“Gambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gambling. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
