" Gambler " is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna for the soundtrack of the 1985 motion picture Vision Quest . The song was written solely by Madonna, while the production was handled by John "Jellybean" Benitez at her request. It was released as the second single from the film's soundtrack album on October 3, 1985, by Geffen Records . "Gambler" was never released in the United States, at the request of Madonna's own Sire Records . The music video of the song is an excerpt from the film itself. Musically, "Gambler" is an upbeat synthpop and disco song, featuring instrumentation from drums, electronic handclaps and percussion, which is accompanied by a bass synths and keyboards. The lyrics talk about Madonna asserting her self-independence. Critics gave a mixed review of the song, but it was commercially successful, reaching the top-ten in the charts of Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway