Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) gambling; also attrib.

1859		Matsell Vocabulum 83: speiling Gambling.
1865		Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 27/1: Some went to bed, while the remainder got up a ‘spieling’ party at ‘French hazards’.
1890		‘Morris the Mohel’ ‘Houndsditch Day by Day’ in Sporting Times 15 Feb. 2/1: I vunder if any of my readers is a shpieling card maker?
1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 79: Spieling, gambling.
1935		Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 10: Spealing [sic]: Card playing.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 53: We thought of getting up a little spieling party. Like to take a hand?

2. (Aus./N.Z./UK) card-sharping, swindling; also attrib.

1900		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 7 Nov. 4/2: All the blasted [...] business that has made the name of Randwick [racecourse] synonymous with rascality and spieling.
1924		C.J. Dennis ‘A Holy War’ in Chisholm (1951) 76: Rose, sick, an’ low [...] Is gittin’ sorely tempted fer to go / Into the spielin’ trade by one Spike Wegg.
1936		H. Corey Farewell, Mr Gangster! 280: Slang used by English criminals [...] Speiling [sic] – playing cards.
1937		T. Thursday ‘License for Theft’ in Ten Detective Aces Sept. 🌐 John Stoneparte, master of the art of spieling.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).