What should I learn (AJAX, PHP, MySQL?) to create a small chance based gambling website?

I would recommend PHP and MySQL, as it is relatively easy to get started with. You could use Ruby on Rails, but I personally had a lot of headaches trying to learn it.

Haha, same here. If i see PHP, i instandly start thinking of Assembler. Im totaly unable to learn PHP and recommend "Ruby on Rails" and .. Database is not important in Rails, you can use which ever you want and switch between them whenever you want.

Ruby on Rails provides super clear Code, MVC (Model (your database), View (What you send to the clients browser) and Controller (is where the logic-code is stored)) paradigm and DRY (D.ont R.epeat Y.ourself) programming. Also it is a multiparadigm language, what means that it supports a lot of the most used Paradigms.

But you really need basic understandment of both: HTML and CSS, before you start any, PHP or Rails or ASP, Django or whatever.

I have a fairly good understanding of both HTML and CSS, this is great advice thank you. So I should start learning Ruby on Rails instead of PHP? But also learn Javacript+AJAX, what is the easiest form of databasing do you think? I will need to store basic user information such as email addresses but also have a wallet which the user can add 'money' to using PayPal and then bet that money in-game. Thanks for all your advice so far I greatly appreciate it :)

oh well your right on Rails then. AJAX is just optional, also ruby comes with a jQuery gem pre installed (a gem is a DLL in other languages, or a "jar" in java. Just an extension or Add-On, call it however you want ;D ).

If you want to store things in the database with rails, just watch this: Build a basic application to get the basic application for the next steps ready, and then: Authenticate Users.

But one thing: "Every tutorial on the Web that is made for Rails below version 4 will confuse you because the canyon between 3 and 4 is big as a beginner. Lots of things have changed with version 4 coming out. In last December"

The question "Whats the best" is not really a question. Because you can store data in the Database with HTML if you put your ruby code inside the HTML doc, same with AJAX. For example:

<form action="index.htm" > works in ruby as <form action="<% rubycode %>">  
or the straight rails 4 way: <%= form_for @user do |f| %>

but you will see inside of the tutorials.

Thank you :) I don't [yet] understand what you mean but I am sure I will pick it up.

Thanks very much TreeHouse Community <3