Chasing Losses
Continuing to gamble — often with bigger or riskier bets — in an attempt to win back money already lost.
Definition
Chasing losses is the drive to keep gambling in order to recover what has been lost, frequently by increasing stakes or taking bigger risks. It is one of the most reliable warning signs of gambling harm because it inverts sensible behaviour: instead of stopping when down, the person plays on precisely because they are down, and losses often deepen as a result. Several psychological factors feed it, including loss aversion (losses feel worse than equivalent gains feel good), the sunk-cost fallacy, and cognitive distortions such as believing a win is 'due'. Chasing tends to erode the limits a person set for themselves and can turn a bounded session into an open-ended one. Recognising the urge to chase — and having pre-set limits, breaks, or a time-out ready — is a practical defence, and persistent chasing is a strong prompt to seek support.
Worked example
After losing their planned budget, a player thinks 'one big bet will get it all back', doubles their stake, loses again, and keeps going — ending the night far deeper in loss than they intended.
Why it matters
Learners can name and recognise a dangerous but common impulse in themselves or others. Professionals treat loss-chasing as a high-value marker of harm and a key moment for supportive interaction.