gamble on something—
1. risk money on the unknown result of a race, etc.:
- Cockfighting is a fight between male chickens (roosters), in which people gamble on the outcome of the fight.
2. act in the hope of smth. being successful, true, etc.:
- I wouldn’t gamble on the weather being fine.
Cf.: you can gamble on that—(coll.) you may be sure of that:
- There will be trouble for someone. You can gamble on that.
take a gamble on something— = gamble on something 2:
- The firm took a gamble on an emerging market with a multi-million dollar investment.