Frequently Asked Questions

Description text goes hereThere are many and varying interpretations of compulsive gambling. The explanation that seems most acceptable to GA members is that compulsive gambling is an illness, progressive in its nature, which can never be cured, but can be arrested.

Before coming to GA, many compulsive gamblers thought of themselves as morally weak or just “no good". The GA concept is that the compulsive gambler is a very sick person who can recover by following a very simple program, to the best of his or her own ability that has proved successful for thousands of other men and women with a similar problem.

Only you can make that decision. Most people turn to Gamblers Anonymous when they become willing to admit that gambling has defeated them. Also in Gamblers Anonymous, a compulsive gambler is described as a person whose gambling has caused growing and continuing problems in any department of his or her life. Many Gamblers Anonymous members went through terrifying experiences before they were ready to accept help. Others were faced with a slow, subtle deterioration which finally brought them to the point of admitting defeat.

To accept the fact that compulsive gambling is a progressive illness and to have the desire to get well. Our experience has shown that the GA program will always work for anyone who wants to stop gambling. It will seldom work for the man or woman who cannot, or will not, squarely face the facts about this illness.

Only you can make that decision. Most people turn to GA when they become willing to admit that gambling has them licked. Also, in GA a compulsive gambler is described as a person whose gambling has caused growing and continuing problems in many departments of life.

Many GA members went through terrifying experiences before they were ready to accept help. Others were faced with a slow, subtle deterioration which finally brought them to the point of admitting defeat.t goes here

Description text goes hereThere are only two requirements for membership of Gablers Anonymous: you must be a compulsive gambler, and you must want to stop your own gambling.

If you are not sure whether you are a compulsive gambler, try answering the 20 Questions.

No. Just go to any meeting at the time and address indicated online, and someone should greet you.

Absolutely nothing: just yourself and an open mind.

GA does not charge anyone for attending meetings. That said, each Group and the Fellowship as a whole does incur expenses (e.g. rentals for meeting-places, and the printing and distribution of literature) which must be covered by its members, who are free to give as much or as little as they desire.

In GA a member only discloses their first name. The names of attendees and what they say are not repeated outside the meeting. Anonymity has great spiritual and practical value within the Fellowship, and also attracts new members who feel there is a stigma attached to compulsive gambling.

GA is run by compulsive gamblers for compulsive gamblers.

There is no central government and little formal organization. There are no officers or executives wielding authority over the Fellowship or individuals.

Certain jobs must be done to ensure that GA continues to function effectively. In undertaking a task, a member may acquire a title, but this is used only to designate an area of service. Those who accept these responsibilities are directly accountable to those they serve.

No. Gamblers Anonymous includes individuals from various religious backgrounds, as well as agnostics and atheists. Membership does not require adherence to any specific religious belief, so GA cannot be considered a religious organization. While the recovery program incorporates certain spiritual principles, each member is free to understand and apply these principles in their own way.