Gambler giving raise (6)
I believe the answer is:
better
This clue is a double definition.
'gambler' is the first definition.
(better is a kind of gambler)
'raise' is the second definition.
(thesaurus)
'giving' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for better that I've seen before include "Improved - gambler" , "layer" , "punter" , "More able" , "Surpass; gambler" .)