Crossword Genius

Gambles about Scrabble tiles holder (in these) (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

brackets

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'these' is the definition.
The definition suggests an adverb but the answer is not.

'gambles about scrabble tiles holder' is the wordplay.
'gambles' becomes 'bets' (bet is a kind of gamble).
'about' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'scrabble tiles holder' becomes 'rack' (I've seen this in another clue).
'bets' enclosing 'rack' is 'BRACKETS'.

'in' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for brackets that I've seen before include "eight here in these" , "Projecting supports, for a shelf say" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.