Gamblers interpret near-misses as frustrating losses rather than near wins, according to new research which sheds light on the compulsive nature of betting.

This sense of frustration from just losing out encourages the gambler to bet again, which in turn may contribute to addictive gambling behavior, the researchers say.

“Our findings support the hypothesis that these types of near-misses are a particularly frustrating form of loss, and contradict the supposition that they are a mis-categorised win,” said study author Dr. Mike Dixon.

“Specifically, following these types of near-misses, participants may be driven to spin again as quickly as possible to remove themselves from a particularly frustrating state.”

Dr. Mike Dixon and his colleagues’ work is published online in Springer’s Journal of Gambling Studies.