Anyone who purchases options is indeed gambling. I mean, you're not getting anything in return for your money like when you purchase shares to build equity. When you buy an option, if you're wrong you literally lose all your money.

Now, I know you're gonna say you can lose all your money when you buy shares, but no -- that very rarely, if ever, happens. If you buy a dividend stock than it's even better as a long-term investment.

The only parties options trading isn't "literally gambling" for are the ones selling the options like market makers (Citadel). They know people like to gamble and they're happy to take the other side of the trade because it's free money when they hedge properly (sounds like a casino, doesn't it?).

Anyone who buys options is literally gambling.