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What is chasing losses?
Definition and example from our casino glossary.
Definition
Chasing losses means continuing to gamble, often with bigger stakes, in an attempt to win back money already lost.
Chasing is one of the most recognised warning signs of harmful gambling. It starts with a plausible thought: one more session, or a bigger bet, will recover what was lost. Mathematically, the opposite is true. Each additional bet carries the same negative expected value, so the expected loss grows with every attempt, and higher stakes increase the speed at which a budget can disappear. Chasing is closely linked to the gambler's fallacy and to reverse withdrawals, where money already set aside is played again. The practical defences are decided in advance: a fixed budget, loss limits, a rule never to deposit twice in one session, and stopping when the budget is gone. Money already lost is best treated as the cost of entertainment that has been spent. If chasing happens repeatedly, it is a reason to use stronger tools and contact a support service.