The action of the novel unfolds in Roulettenburg, a fictional town in Germany. A retired Russian general visits the town with his children and his girlfriend, a much younger woman whom he is preparing to marry. With them is the young tutor Alexei Ivanovich, who is in love with Polina, the general's eldest daughter.

On the brink of bankruptcy, the general is waiting to inherit from his aunt. Meanwhile, Alexei, driven by his tyrannical and unfulfilled love for Polina, starts gambling at the town'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 one of the masterpieces of world literature. With unparalleled skill, the author portrays the collapse of a hero who is destroyed by two great passions: love and gambling.