There's *[Tom's Amazing Machine][1]* by Gordon Spell 

> Tom and his cousin Emma are given a school project about life in their
> town 400 years ago. With Zenda the talking computer's help they
> decipher an old singing-game and an ancient map, and discover that
> their town used to be the headquarters for a gang of highwaymen.


Looking at the cover it doesn't seem to be laptop, but snippets from the [Growing Point][2] review appear to mention gambling mother:

> Zenda, as Tom calls the being, is given books and maps so that it can
> adapt to the everyday world, but there are times when disaster
> threatens and Zenda's part in bringing nasty Stephen to justice for
> theft finally indicates that it is time he/she moves on before
> explanations are sought. The family background of gambling mother and
> unemployed father provides additional material in a lively mixture
> of...

  [1]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4099773-tom-s-amazing-machine
  [2]: https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-huawei&biw=534&bih=736&tbm=bks&ei=OhwaXaemH4mJk74P-5eosA4&q=Zenda+indicates+father+intitle%3Agrowing+&oq=Zenda+indicates+father+intitle%3Agrowing