What is Judaism’s stance on gambling and playing cards ? Is it allowed just for the sake of fun? Thanks for your time.

The problem with gambling is twofold.

One is that the gambler is not occupied productively which goes against the plan G’d has for the world. This would only apply to a professional gambler and not to one who only occasionaly gambles for entertainment.

Second problem is that the loser does not really want to pay, so taking his money is a form of theft. The loser is being forced to pay to avoid the stigma of being called a cheat.