How to Know If You Are a Gambler or Investor? The reason why you invest is to make money. Certain opinions like, "buying stock because you think it will go up doesn't qualify because it has no mathematical expectation"; "buying stock because you think it is a good company or has good prospects for the future has no expectation";" buying stock because you think the market will go up or because you think it has hit a bottom is also gambling because it has no expectation."; "buying stock because your advisor or some other expert recommended it is gambling because it has no expectation" are assumptions that have no goal. Investing is gambling when invest without any mathematical expectations. If you notice to investment advice given to you by your friends, advisers, or media they all are guesses. They are gamblers and not investors.