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

The best scenario is to win the litigation but that usually means gambling before a jury. — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Usually, this is the part of a Vegas travel story where gambling, lavish dinners and club-hopping are mentioned. — Mike Avila, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

New York filed a lawsuit against Kalshi last week, alleging the company is operating an unlicensed gambling platform. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

Last Saturday night, Drake tried to optimize his remaining time on earth by taking part in a three-hour-long livestream on Kick, sponsored by the gambling company Stake. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1700, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gambling

• anti-gambling

Rhymes for gambling

• ambling
• scrambling
• shambling