Gambling terms, explained straight

Responsible Gambling & Harm

Chasing losses gambling

Chasing losses is the act of continuing or intensifying gambling after a loss in an attempt to recover the money lost.

Also called
Loss chasing, chasing; subtypes include between-session and within-session chasing23

Key points

  • Chasing losses is a marker of impaired control and is widely associated with gambling disorder.35
  • The behaviour can happen within a single session or by returning to gamble in a later session.35
  • Moving on from a loss means accepting it and stopping, the opposite of chasing losses.

Common questions

How to move on from a gambling loss?

Accept the loss as a cost of the activity, not a debt to recover. Take a break, talk to someone you trust, and consider setting a loss limit or using self-exclusion tools to prevent further chasing.

Why do gamblers chase losses?

The urge to 'get even' overrides rational decision-making. Cognitive distortions, impulsivity, and the illusion that a win is due can drive a gambler to keep playing despite mounting losses.14

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • Loss limit gambling — a harm-minimisation tool that caps losses, whereas chasing losses is uncontrolled escalation after a loss
Responsible play Addiction and gambling Explains how gambling can become addictive and the criteria for gambling disorder. Responsible play Gambling addiction signs Lists the warning signs of problem gambling, including chasing losses. Responsible play Self-exclusion gambling Describes how self-exclusion programmes can help gamblers stop chasing losses. Responsible play Gambling harm Covers the financial, emotional and social harms caused by gambling, including loss-chasing. Responsible play Self-exclusion form for gambling Provides guidance on completing a self-exclusion form to block access to gambling sites. Responsible play Betting addiction Focuses on addiction specific to sports and event betting, where chasing losses is common.

Sources

  1. Getting even: chasing behavior, decision-making, and craving ... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Defines chasing behaviour and links it to decision-making and craving.
  2. Winning and losing in online gambling: Effects on within ... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Describes within-session chasing in online gambling.
  3. Between-session chasing of losses and wins in an online ... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Covers between-session chasing and its role as a marker of impaired control.
  4. The illusion of handy wins: Problem gambling, chasing, and affective decision-making - PubMed pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Discusses the illusion of handy wins and affective decision-making in chasing.
  5. Behavioural expressions of loss-chasing in gambling pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Examines behavioural expressions of loss-chasing in gambling.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.