gambling

noun

gam·​bling ˈgam-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce gambling (audio)
: 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
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.
More contenders are listed in recent roundups by British GQ and the gambling firm Ladbrokes. Bill Chappell, NPR, 26 June 2025 Each response is a surprise, tapping into the psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement, famously demonstrated by psychologist B.F. Skinner, where unpredictable rewards significantly amplify behaviors, much like gambling addiction. Curt Steinhorst, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025 Isaiah Rodgers joined the Eagles while serving a gambling suspension and became a key contributor on their path to winning the championship. Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025 The post, which tagged gambling platform Stake — with whom Drake has an endorsement deal — is just one of many high-stakes wagers he’s publicly shared. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 19 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for gambling

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gambling was in 1700

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Cite this Entry

“Gambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gambling. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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