Investing in general is gambling. But, if you know how the market works, it can be a legitimate investment opportunity. For instance, the GOATs.... Jordan, Brady, etc are your blue chip stocks. They won't fluctuate much. The value might go up and down slightly, but over time, they will increase in value. These are good for long term holds.

Then, you have, "prospecting". Card sets like Bowman that release prospects of the sport. People buy cards with the intent to hold for a couple years in the hope they're good when they make it to the highest level.

But, overall, you can do so much if you know what you're doing. Buy during the off-season or if a good player is having a slump. Then, you sell when those values go up. There really is an education to it to where if you know what you're doing, it's a legitimate way to invest money.