To gamble is to risk money or something valuable on the result of a game, event, or decision that depends mostly on chance. It can also mean taking a risky action in hopes of a big reward.
“Gamble” likely developed from “game” with a frequentative ending, suggesting repeated playing. It appeared in English in the 18th century, after earlier verbs like “game” and “gamblet.”
Casinos are carefully designed so that, over time, the house almost always wins, even if some players get lucky. Outside of casinos, people “gamble” with careers, relationships, and health decisions whenever they take big risks for uncertain payoffs.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.