I'll probably launch the Discord sometime after the 1.0 release. Speaking of that, we've now got a clearer list of features to complete before calling it 1.0. All 8 headgear visual effects, lore for the turtles, equipment unlocking hints, relics (this will be a big one), and possibly achievements too.
As for gambling, yeah, with good RNG it can be a nice quartz boost. Just keep in mind it can also eat through your stash pretty fast, so it's not the most reliable method long term. Farming manually and exchanging ores is still the safer bet if you're looking for consistent quartz.