What is "at stake" with Testing?

Google Ngram, which counts the frequency of words uses in all printed sources, shows us that eight of the top ten most frequent uses of "high stakes" in this period were related to wagering (poker, gambling, games, bingo (!), card games, etc.)  This usage continues today.  For example, I saw an advertisement on a sports website the other day for "high stakes fantasy football".  This usage makes sense, as gambling is a win/lose proposition and usually an all/nothing outcome.  If you wager on a hand of cards, you either lose it all or walk away with much more than you came with.   (Perhaps this element of risk and highly-variable outcomes is part of the appeal of gambling.)