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
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
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.
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
Cite this Entry
“Gambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gambling. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share