The action of the novel takes place in Roultenburg, a fictional city in Germany. A retired Russian general visits the city with his children and his fiancée, a much younger woman whom he is about to marry. With them is the young teacher Alexei Ivanovich, who is in love with Polina, the general's eldest daughter.

On the verge of bankruptcy, the general expects to inherit his aunt's fortune. Meanwhile, Alexei, driven by his tyrannical and unrequited love for Polina, starts gambling in the city's casino, offering all his winnings to his beloved. However, this will only mark the beginning of his gradual downfall.

The Gambler is one of Dostoevsky's most important works and a masterpiece of world literature. In an unparalleled manner, the author depicts the collapse of a hero who is destroyed by two great passions: love and gambling.