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

There’s several different versions of the game, which originally hailed from China in the mid-1800s as a men’s gambling game. —Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025

However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. —Simone Jasper, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2025

Remember their 10-game skid, the losing streak that seemed to sink the season, the one during which Luis Ortiz vanished because of a gambling investigation, the one during which the Guardians couldn’t muster anything at the plate? —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

These are games that mimic gambling, like slot machines, video poker and casino-style card games by selling virtual coins. —Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gambling

• anti-gambling

Rhymes for gambling

• ambling
• scrambling
• shambling