What is Near miss?
A near miss is an outcome that looks close to a win, such as two jackpot symbols with the third just above or below the line, but which is in fact a loss.
Near misses are a well-studied feature of slot play. Psychological research suggests they can produce responses similar to wins and encourage continued play, even though a near miss has no bearing on the chance of winning on the next spin.
Regulators in several markets limit how games may present them. Game designers may not, for example, artificially increase the frequency of near misses beyond what the random reel maths would naturally produce. Standards also address losses disguised as wins, where a return smaller than the stake is celebrated as a win.
For readers, the key point is that a near miss is a loss. Each spin is random and independent of the last. Clear explanations of this effect are a standard part of safer gambling information for slot players.