In Gambling Disorder, the behavior described as 'chasing losses' is illustrated by which option?

• A. Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve desired excitement
• B. Often gambles when feeling distressed
• C. After losing money, returns another day to get even
• D. Lies to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling

Answer: (C)

Chasing losses describes the pattern of returning to gamble after a loss in an effort to recoup what was lost. This behavior shows a loss of control and a compulsive cycle: the person keeps gambling despite negative consequences because the urge to get even drives continued gambling. In diagnostic terms, this exact pattern—going back another day to try to recover money—is a defining motif of Gambling Disorder, reflecting how the reinforcement of chasing losses keeps the disorder active.

Other options illustrate related aspects but not the specific chasing behavior: escalating bets to achieve excitement points to tolerance and escalation, gambling as a coping mechanism shows using gambling to handle distress, and lying to conceal gambling concerns relates to deception. None of these capture the immediate impulse to return after a loss to break even as clearly as this pattern does.