# gamble

/ˈɡæmbəɫ/ (US) · /ɡˈæmbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gamble
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to play for money

verb · CEFR B1

to play games of chance, like cards or races, for money.

For teachers: to play games of chance for money; often used intransitively to describe a habit or addiction.

- He lost a lot of money because he used to gamble on horse races every weekend.
- The state government recently introduced stricter regulations to prevent citizens from being able to gamble away their savings at local casinos.

### 2. to take a risk

verb · CEFR B2

to take a risk with a decision because you hope for a good result.

For teachers: to take a risk in the hope of a favourable outcome; often used with the preposition 'on'.

- The company decided to gamble on a new product that no one had tried before.
- The young entrepreneur was willing to gamble his entire inheritance on the belief that the market was ready for sustainable packaging solutions.

### 3. a risky action

noun · CEFR B1

an action or decision that is risky but could have a big reward.

For teachers: a risky act or venture undertaken with the hope of success.

- Buying the old house was a gamble, but it is worth much more now.
- The merger was a massive gamble for the airline, as failure would have resulted in immediate bankruptcy during a period of economic instability.

## Examples

- Starting a new business is always a gamble.
- The coach took a gamble by playing the rookie in the final minutes of the championship game.
- While the investment seemed like a reckless gamble to his peers, his deep understanding of market cycles suggested the risk was actually quite calculated.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.