gambling

Everyday

1. Gambling is playing games or betting money on something whose result depends on luck, hoping to win more money. tree →
2. Gambling is also taking a big risk in the hope that things will turn out well. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and safety it names a grown-up activity (casinos, lotteries, betting on horse races or football) that is against the law for children and can become a harmful habit called a gambling addiction. In maths it links to chance and probability: the chances of winning are usually small, and the house usually wins. Phrases: «gambling machine», «online gambling», «gambling problem», «gambling with someone's safety».

Examples

• Gambling is not allowed for children. tree →
• My uncle stopped gambling because he kept losing money. tree →
• The film showed people gambling at a casino in Las Vegas. tree →
• Buying lottery tickets every week is a kind of gambling. tree →
• Some video games have loot boxes that feel a lot like gambling. tree →
• In maths we learned why gambling usually loses money in the long run. tree →
• Crossing the road without looking is gambling with your life. tree →
• The coach said trying a new player in the final was gambling. tree →
• While the tree was advancing, everything else at the castle was going backward, through feasting and gambling, for these are two rollers upon which nobody stands safely. tree →

Note

Uncountable noun: say «gambling», not «a gambling». A person who gambles is a «gambler». Do not confuse with «gambolling» (lambs gambolling = jumping playfully). Myth: a losing streak does not make a win «due»; each spin or roll has the same chance. In maths problems about gambling, the expected result is usually a loss for the player.