Gabling

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To place bets or stakes, typically in gambling contexts; to risk money or valuables on an uncertain outcome, especially in games of chance; to engage in wagering activities often involving casinos or sports
2. The act of risking something valuable on a chance event, such as betting in card games or on sports results; the practice of betting money or possessions hoping for a financial gain; involvement in games or contests where outcomes depend largely on luck or chance
3. Engaging in the process of risking capital on uncertain results, often in betting scenarios; the activity of placing wagers in hopes of winning; the undertaking of chance-based competitions such as lotteries, horse races, or card games

Etymology: "Gabling" doesn't appear to be a standard spelling of this sense. The word people usually mean is "gambling," and it's the form that carries this history. The root is "game," from Old English "gamen," meaning sport or amusement. "Gamble" grew from a related form, "gamel," meaning to play games, and staking money on a game's outcome followed naturally, since games of chance were where most betting happened. I can't confirm that "gabling" has a separate history with this meaning, so I won't invent one. It most likely works as a misspelling of "gambling," which inherits the story above.

Synonyms: gambling, betting, wagering

Antonyms: saving, withholding