INDEX:
1. to gamble
2. someone who gambles
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ RISK
↑ WIN
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1. to gamble
▷ gamble /ˈgæmb ə l/ [intransitive/transitive verb or transitive phrasal verb]
to try to win money, for example by playing cards or guessing which horse will win a race :
▪ Eddie loved to gamble, and would spend most evenings at the roulette table.
gamble away something/gamble something away
waste a lot of money by gambling
▪ Roger gambled away all his money in a Las Vegas casino.
▪ She inherited $50,000 but gambled it away.
▷ gambling /ˈgæmblɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
when you try to win money, for example by playing cards or guessing which horse will win a race :
▪ Is gambling legal here?
▪ Your Uncle Maury has a gambling problem.
▪ Crane admits that he is addicted to gambling.
▪ He was against the introduction of a National Lottery as he thought it might encourage gambling.
▷ bet/have a bet /bet, ˌhæv ə ˈbet/ [intransitive/transitive verb or verb phrase]
to try to win money by guessing who will win a race or game :
▪ I don’t bet very often.
bet on something/have a bet on something
gamble money on the result of a race or game
▪ We usually have a bet on the Grand Prix.
▪ Rogers was not much of a gambler. When he bet on the horses, he almost always lost.
bet £10/$100 etc on something
▪ Jerry bet $1000 on the game.
place a bet
say which horse, team, competition etc you want to gamble on and pay the money that you want to gamble
▪ I’ve placed a bet on a horse in the next race.
▪ All bets must be placed before the start of the race.
▷ put £10/$20 etc on /pʊt ˌten ˈpaʊndz ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to gamble £10, $20 etc on the horse or team that you think will win a race or competition :
▪ I put $20 on the Cowboys to win.
▪ He put £50 on Middlesborough to beat Manchester United at odds of 3-1.
put a bet on something
gamble on a horse, game etc
▪ I think I’ll put a bet on the next race.
▷ back /bæk/ [transitive verb]
to gamble money on a particular horse, team, or person that you think will win a particular competition :
▪ We backed a horse named Travelling Light that finished first at 10-1.
back something/somebody to win something
▪ Uncle Barry backed Arsenal to win the FA Cup.
▷ play for money /ˌpleɪ fəʳ ˈmʌni/ [verb phrase]
to gamble money on the result of a game which you are playing, for example cards :
▪ ‘Are we playing for money here, gentlemen?’ he said as he approached the pool table.
▪ You’re allowed to play cards in the bar, but not for money.
▷ have a flutter /ˌhæv ə ˈflʌtəʳ/ [verb phrase] British informal
to gamble a small amount of money, especially on the result of a horse race - use this especially about someone who does not gamble very often :
▪ I’m not a heavy gambler, but I like to have a flutter from time to time.
have a flutter on
▪ I had a little flutter on the Grand National and won £5.
▷ lose money on /luːz ˈmʌni ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to lose money by not guessing correctly the result of a game, race, or competition :
▪ He claims that he lost the money on a dice game.
▪ I lost a lot of money on the dogs last night.
▷ win money on /wɪn ˈmʌni ɒn/ [verb phrase]
to win money by correctly guessing the result of a game, race, or competition :
▪ I heard that he won a lot of money on the Superbowl a few years ago.
2. someone who gambles
▷ gambler /ˈgæmbləʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who gambles, especially someone who gambles a lot and cannot stop :
▪ Jack was a great drinker and gambler.
▪ De Niro plays Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, a professional gambler.
compulsive gambler
someone who cannot stop gambling
heavy gambler
someone who gambles a lot
▪ It was rumoured that he was a heavy gambler and lost large sums in Monte Carlo.