Why does ‘almost winning’ mean more than losing?

[Cantsay]

I wonder: could it be this expectation that keeps people more engaged in the game than actual victories?

Can you answer this question for me? 

In most cases, Yes, it is.

I think u have mention this in several other threads, casinos n understand this near miss psychology and they have so much mastered it to the extent that even those who have good control over themselves will still be affected by it if they are not careful enough.

You see that moment when you start contemplating whether you should just give it a second try to see if it will work out this time or not, that’s the moment you have lost it to the near miss effect and subsequently you’ll find yourself doing it more often until you start to see it as the norm.

[aioc]

I've never played, but I find it very interesting how "almost winning" seems to affect players so much. Even without direct experience, you can see that this feeling of "nearly missing out" affects one's emotions and can make one try again, seeking that victory that almost happened.

I wonder: could it be this expectation that keeps people more engaged in the game than actual victories?

It's a human reaction to be disappointed in something that escaped you when it was already within reach, not only in gambling but in every interaction.
It's a potential money that you could have had if only things had gone your way by a small gap. Losing hurts, but it hurts more when you almost had it, then lose out in the last seconds.
I experienced betting on a fighter who was almost winning but lost in an upset in the closing minute. This one hurts because the expectation is up, then it went crashing.

[alegotardo]

I've never played, but I find it very interesting how "almost winning" seems to affect players so much. Even without direct experience, you can see that this feeling of "nearly missing out" affects one's emotions and can make one try again, seeking that victory that almost happened.

I wonder: could it be this expectation that keeps people more engaged in the game than actual victories?

Can you answer this question for me? 

So... I have the perception of the "almost winning" is sometimes more addictive than the victory... I think that when we get so close to the prize, our brain reacts as if the reward were just a step away, as if it were already a sure thing and then it releases dopamine (or whatever the hormone its called), and that is why its so frustrating when we lose at this exact moment.

Casinos like to keep us motivated... I think that is why they work with such a small statistical margin, but still one that'ss mathematically favorable to them... they want to keep us in that moment of almost winning, because if they tried to obtain a statistical result greater in their favor, our wins would be very scarce and would make us give up too soon.

The "almost winning" brings us tension, expectation, and hope... it is much more lasting emotion than the moment of victory, and that is why we are so captivated by the game... it takes discipline and emotional control to know how to maintain control.

[Darker45]

Expectation must play a vital role in the minds of gamblers. Or perhaps not really expectation but the thought of the possibility of winning. "Almost winning" events must be big factor in making them believe that possibility is well within reach, to the point that some are probably expecting. But victories don't just come, and so the the more focused, engaged, determined they are, the more they lose, the happier the casino.

I'm talking about random games. I'm referring to the "almosts" in jackpots, huge multipliers, and the like.

[nara1892]

From my personal experience it is true that the situation of "almost winning" can make me feel more motivated and challenged and yes, this situation makes me want to play again especially when I am still trapped in addiction, meaning that continuing to play and feeling excessively attracted by this situation will most likely only happen to gamblers who are already addicted, but for those who are not addicted it may also have a little influence and attract more interest to play again than usual, but overall, gamblers will feel more interested in playing after experiencing this situation if for example they are gambling to make money.

[programmer3666]

like seriously almost winning feeling affects the mind more than just losing because naturally when people feel they were so close, it gives them hope that the next try might be the win! this hope can be stronger than the pain of losing because the brain thinks victory is near & around the corner that is why near misses keep players hooked, sometimes even more than real wins and i believe that casinos and game designers know this and use it on purpose. is like they create near miss moments to trigger emotions and keep players engaged. it is more like a psychological trick that makes people believe their chances are better than they really are.

[Agbamoni]

I wonder: could it be this expectation that keeps people more engaged in the game than actual victories?

Can you answer this question for me? 

A normal person would quit gambling or pause for a while if they keep experiencing near misses. There are two explanations to why people keep gambling (actually 3 explanations)

1 They keep gambling regardless of near-misses because they are addicted
2. They keep gambling because they see it as fun and entertainment.
3. They keep gambling because they are chasing loss or they on a winning streak.

It can vary from bettor to bettor within this three.

[Cointxz]

I wonder: could it be this expectation that keeps people more engaged in the game than actual victories?

Can you answer this question for me? 

It’s true that expectations mostly is the reason why people keep gambling.

Also being optimistic that something good will happened after experiencing a near missed bet makes betting more easier since you have something look forward.

The illusion that you are already closed on winning makes gambler chase that elusive big win.

[7juju]

Winning and losing has their own effects on gamblers. When you lose the expressions are all over you for the time being. But winning gives a different satisfaction, it makes you feel like you have achieved something, like you have been able to do something right. Your guesses went the right way and upon that your account is going to be credited. The joy you feel when you get credited, the sense of gaining than losing is what makes winning feels different than losing.

[Yablee0]

Can you answer this question for me? 

Gambling is surpose to be a game of fun, some kind of stuff we find our self doing that can ease up our stress when being stress out and not a business,  for me having a nearly miss has no significant effect it does on me because  it wasn't a must to me that I must win, fine If I win that's cool with me but if didn't no issue just gonna move on and make sure am fine. I know everybody needs money but let's not make our self to be seen as if without it we wouldn't survive, even though we seek some financial path way in gambling let's try to be more responsible so as to conquer the negative side of it.

[maydna]

You need to play to know the meaning of "almost winning" so you will know how it feels. That feeling can attract gamblers to try again and not think much about what will happen later. That feeling will change into chasing the win because they see the chance to win. You need to control that feeling because "almost winning" can ruin your balance. You may lose more than you can afford and leaving you with regret. It is why we always suggest you use the money you can afford to lose so you will not regret losing money.

[Ishicryptic]

I understand what you mean, as a gambler when you lose you move on knowing that is what happens in gambling but near misses makes  you feel like you were almost there. Near misses feels like missed opportunities, they can motivate you to keep gambling believing that your luck is near or it can demoralize you with a feeling of bad luck. The implication is that if a gambler takes near misses too seriously he can become addicted feeling that he must get it right in the next game. If the win doesn't happen the gambler can start chasing loses which is irresponsible gambling.

[libert19]

I never do that, either you win or you don't, it's that simple. I never really understood why people think that almost winning is thing, is it their ignorance of how gambling works that they feel this way? (i.e, each roll is separate)

The problem is- what if the gambling casino intentionally made that system for us to continue gambling?

That shouldn't be the case at least with reputed casinos, though they could make 'near misses' enticing in UI to make user continue to gamble, and imo that's within the lines and I got no problem with that.

[LFC_Bitcoin]

Almost winning means you know what you’re doing, maybe you’re just unlucky. Obviously if you’re narrowly losing bets then your luck is going to change at some point most likely.

Sometimes though it annoys me more to lose if I’m really close to winning bets. I often do both teams to score accumulators and lose by one goal which is very frustrating.

[Popkon6]

In an attempt to win at gambling, every person gambles and tries harder to win. If they win and the gambler keeps gambling more until they calm down, they end up losing because the gambler has become more greedy. And when the gambler loses, they basically try to recover the money, then they collect the money more aggressively and enter the win.
Then the gambler loses more money, thus the gambler loses all his money and later stops gambling but finally they become addicted and quit gambling.

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

What's the end result of "almost won" ? Means that the person still lost. The opportunity that a player stands in next minute while playing, is something that they don't know about and can not determine, that's why you see that many players will keep on playing after losing, that is because the person doesn't know if he or she will be luck if they try again. So, the person will try continuously until they are low on balance, the drive is actually to make sure they win.

[Jody.Drummer]

I've never played, but I find it very interesting how "almost winning" seems to affect players so much. Even without direct experience, you can see that this feeling of "nearly missing out" affects one's emotions and can make one try again, seeking that victory that almost happened.

I wonder: could it be this expectation that keeps people more engaged in the game than actual victories?

Can you answer this question for me? 

For those who gamble with the goal of doubling their money and experience a near-win, they'll likely feel more compelled to gamble again after losing. I agree that this can trigger emotions and encourage players to try again. However, for those with good self-control, they likely won't feel as compelled and won't even think about trying again. This is especially true for players who lack self-control when gambling and experience near-wins.

[Sticky Bomb]

What do you mean by almost winning or almost losing? As far as I know, that doesn’t exist, you either lose or you win. Well, to answer your question, engagement comes from the possibility of making money. No one plays for any other reason than to earn some good cash. Gambling is about that: adrenaline and money in your pocket (or out of it).

Only Wins and losses, yes but you're neglecting the fact that there could be times when you narrowly missed winning, such a moments surely creates mixed feelings that there's something you could've done better and secure an express win and it may prompt you to gamble again to try your luck on getting it right next time and that's what OP is pointing to.

Personally, Whenever I have such near misses I would always bet again  on more than one betslip adjusting my strategies until my deposits gets to 0 and that's an indication that my gambling session has come to an end.

[danherbias07]

Yes, it's the expectation. Most of the time.

Having a losing streak. That's one of the reasons why a gambler will probably think that the winning roll will be coming near. That's why they kept on betting over and over again because of the high expectation that the big win would come, or better, a jackpot, a max win.
It's difficult to blame a gambler when he thinks like that because sometimes the rolls (in slots) show that a near win. That will actually boost the idea of trying one more time and expect that it will come in the next round.

[ejikeme24]

Yes, it's the expectation. Most of the time.

Having a losing streak. That's one of the reasons why a gambler will probably think that the winning roll will be coming near. That's why they kept on betting over and over again because of the high expectation that the big win would come, or better, a jackpot, a max win.

You're right this feeling is what makes most gamblers never to think of stoping after a long losing streak, and yeah this feeling is very common among gamblers especially those that go with the intention of making profit from gamble. going for a break when they are in a losing streak is as if they are going to miss a whole lot of wining opportunities so therefore they will prefer to keep gambling until they hit a big multiplayer and even when they succeed in getting one big win yet they won't even stop instead they will be expecting to meet the one that will be much bigger. This is what makes most gamblers to keep coming regardless of the result.