Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a womanizer, a promiscuous man.

1614		Jonson Bartholomew Fair II v: Ay, ay, gamesters, mock a plain plump soft wench o’ the suburbs, do, because she’s juicy and wholesome.
c.1621		Beaumont & Fletcher Wild-Goose-Chase II iii: It seems ye are hot, the suburbs will supply ye, Goood women scorn such Gamesters.
c.1621		Middleton Women Beware Women III iii: She’s right and straight enough, now as she stands. / They’ll commonly lie crooked, that’s no matter. / Wise gamesters never find fault with that, let ’em lie still so.
1633		S. Marmion Fine Companion I iii: For Gamesters and Courtiers haue but little charity.
1646		Parliament of Women B4: Mistris Dorcas Doe-little [...] saith she, my husband is a Gamester and as he games abroad, so I play at home.
1660		Wandring Whore I 4: I tell you plainly that ever since I was a Loose-liver or gamester in the School of Venus.
1668		Etherege She Would if She Cou’d III i: Indeed it is the Principle of most good women that love Gaming, When they begin to grow a little out of play Themselves, to make an interest in some Young Gamester or other.
1676		‘Cupids Trappan’ in Euing Broadside Ballads No. 35: I will keep from such Gamesters as he [...] My Portion shall be my Virginity.
1683		Whores Rhetorick 167: The dexterous acting [...] will ever produce very advantagious effects: the deceived Gamester believing these amorous pangs created by himself.
1708		N. Ward Adam and Eve 52: Some Smock-fac’d Gamester, who can win her Money first [...] and kiss her into a good Humour.
1822		R. Nares Gloss. (1888) I 318: gamester. A kind of familiar term for a debauched person of either sex.

2. a prostitute; a promiscuous woman.

1602		Shakespeare All’s Well That Ends Well V iii: She’s impudent, my lord; And was a common gamester to the camp.
1614		Jonson Bartholomew Fair V iii: He is extremely beloved of the womenkind, they do so affect his action, the green gamesters that come here.
1622		Fletcher Spanish Curate I i: He did enjoy the Company of a Gamester, A Common Gamester too, that in one Night Met him th’ Italian, French and Spanish ways, And ended in the Dutch.
1631		J. Shirley Love’s Cruelty I ii: [She] may in time be a gamester, in the mean time the duke will play at cards with her, and if he chance turn up.
c.1642		T. Killigrew Parson’s Wedding (1664) IV i: She is a right broken Gamester, who, though she lacks wherewithal to play, yet loves to be looking on.
1822		see sense 1.
1842		Flash (N.Y.) 10 July 3/1: Her passions thus excited, she rushed madly onward in her career of vice, and at one time she was the common gamester of all the Middies in our Navy Yard.

3. a mistress.

1676

Etherege Man of Mode III iii: I have been used to deep play, but I can make one at small game, when I like my gamester well.

4. a pimp.

1709		Cibber Rival Fools I i: y. out.: In our Age this is called Pimping. sir ol.: Sirrah! I got many a round sum by it, when my Father would not give me a Groat – Then, Sir, I was in with all the top Gamesters, and when there was a fat Squire to be fleec’d, I had my Office among them too; and tho’ I say it, was one of the neatest Operators about Town.
1734		Ipswich Jrnl 25 May 3/1: Gentleman Harry, a great Gamester, and reputed Guinea Dropper. He had for some time liv’d wholly by Gaming, Pimping and Bullying for the Women of the Town.

5. a (criminal) practitioner.

1694

Proc. Old Bailey 24 May n.p.: She was known to be an old Gamester in the Art of Legerdemain, tho but a young Girl.