gambling

gambling — noun

1. the act of putting money or valuable items at risk on games or events whose outc

1.nounB2
Definition

the act of putting money or valuable items at risk on games or events whose outcome is unknown, hoping to win something greater in return

Example

Online gambling through sports betting apps has grown quickly among young adults in the UK.

collocation: online gambling

The Barcelona city council voted to ban all forms of gambling in public spaces.

collocation: ban gambling

Common collocations
  • online gambling
  • gambling addiction
  • gambling debt
  • gambling problem
  • illegal gambling
  • legal gambling
  • compulsive gambling
  • gambling industry
Synonyms
  • betting

    more specific than gambling; refers to placing a wager on a particular outcome (e.g., betting on a horse)

  • wagering

    a more formal term for betting, often used in legal documents or official contexts

  • gaming

    the preferred term in official or polite contexts (e.g., 'gaming commission'); can also refer to playing games of skill

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — do not use 'a gambling' or 'gamblings'. Frequently appears before another noun to describe related concepts: gambling addiction, gambling debt, or the gambling industry.

Common Mistakes

He has a gambling.
He has a gambling problem.
'gambling' is uncountable and cannot be used with the article 'a'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Betting is the most general of the three and refers to placing money on any specific outcome of an event, such as a horse race or a football match. Wagering is more formal and appears in legal documents or official contexts (e.g., 'the Wagering Act'). Gaming is the term preferred by the industry itself and by regulators, especially in official names like 'gaming commission' or 'gaming license.' It is also used for games of skill such as poker or blackjack. In everyday speech, 'gambling' is the most common word. A newspaper might report 'illegal betting rings,' while a law would refer to 'unauthorized wagering,' and a casino would advertise 'responsible gaming.'

betting ↗wageringgaming ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • form of gambling
  • to lose money to gambling
  • to ban gambling

Prepositions

  • on (e.g., gamble on sports)
  • at (e.g., gamble at casinos)

Etymology

EnglishOld English

The verb 'gamble' first appeared in English in the 1700s. It was probably formed from the word 'game' (meaning to play for stakes) with the '-le' suffix, which was used to create new verbs that suggest repeated or casual actions. The noun 'gambling' came soon after, referring to the activity of playing games for money.