So if I buy gold to use as a store of value, and then sell it later, am I gambling? How about property as a store of value? If I exchange $USD for another currency, hold it, and then exchange it back, am I gambling?
Basically yes, it's speculation if all you're planning to do is sell it later for a profit. It's called land speculation or currency speculation.
If you're buying gold to plate electrical contacts or make jewelry or buying land to live on or use for commercial or agricultural purposes, it becomes more than mere speculation.
Venture capitalists are investors. People who buy stock after the IPO are just speculators.
