Your First Gamblers Anonymous Meeting

Walking into a first meeting can be hard. Hearing other people say out loud the things you've been hiding can make you feel a lot less alone.

What Gamblers Anonymous is

Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a free support group for people who want to stop gambling. It started on September 13, 1957, in Los Angeles, and it follows a Twelve Step recovery program.

• Who can join: "The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling."
• Cost: "There are no dues or fees for Gamblers Anonymous membership." Groups pay their own way through members' contributions.
• Anonymity: what you share stays in the room. That's a tradition, not a legal guarantee, but people take it seriously.

What happens at your first GA meeting

GA's own guidance for groups lays out how a first meeting usually goes.

• Someone reads GA's 20 Questions out loud, and you answer yes or no for yourself.
• Members share their stories. You get invited to speak after several people have gone, and nobody should push you.
• Members may hand you a phone list and offer to call you in the next day or two.
• You may get a temporary sponsor, with the suggestion to pick your own after about 30 days. See how sponsors work.

You don't have to say a word. Plenty of people just listen the first few times.

GA's 20 Questions

GA's self-test asks things like "Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?" and "Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?" GA says most compulsive gamblers answer yes to at least 7. You can take it on the GA website.

How to find a GA meeting

• Online meeting finder: gamblersanonymous.org/find-a-meeting lists in-person, virtual and phone meetings.
• Virtual meetings: you can join a virtual meeting in any state, so there's one most nights. Double-check the time zone.
• GA hotline: 855-2CALLGA (855-222-5542).

GA has three kinds of meetings. Closed meetings are only for people who want to stop gambling. Open meetings let family and friends sit in. And some groups vote to allow certain guests.

Is GA religious?

GA isn't tied to any religion, denomination or organization. The steps do mention "a Power greater than ourselves," and one says "God as we understood Him," so there's a spiritual side to it. Lots of members define that power their own way. If that doesn't sit right with you, SMART Recovery is a secular option. Compare the two.

Help with the money: GA's Pressure Relief meeting

GA offers something called a Pressure Relief Group meeting, which it says "may help alleviate financial, employment and personal pressures." GA suggests it once you've gone about 30 days without gambling. You work out a budget and a plan to repay your debts, with no bailouts and no borrowing.

For family and friends: Gam-Anon

Gam-Anon is a separate group for the people hurt by someone else's gambling. It has meetings in person and online and a hotline at 844-475-4213. Visit gam-anon.org.

Does Gamblers Anonymous work?

The research is mixed. A 2016 review of 17 studies called the evidence on GA's effectiveness inconsistent. Lots of people drop out: an older study found 22% of newcomers never came back after their first meeting. The people who stay tend to do better, and GA seems to work best alongside treatment. One researcher found that combining GA with therapy may improve engagement and reduce relapse.

GA works best when you keep showing up, get phone numbers and actually use them. Many people pair it with a therapist who specializes in gambling. If one meeting doesn't click, try a different one before you write GA off.

Frequently asked questions

Is Gamblers Anonymous free?

It is. GA has no dues or fees. Groups pass a basket for voluntary contributions to cover costs.

Do I have to talk at a GA meeting?

You can just listen. Most groups invite newcomers to share only after others have gone.

Are there online Gamblers Anonymous meetings?

There are. GA lists virtual and phone meetings at gamblersanonymous.org/find-a-meeting, and you can join meetings from any state.

Can my partner come to GA with me?

Open meetings let family and friends observe. Your partner can also get support for themselves at Gam-Anon.

Written by the Unbettable team · Updated October 8, 2026

Sources: Gamblers Anonymous: About; GA Combo Book (2025); GA: Suggestions for New Member Retention; GA: 20 Questions; GA: Find a Meeting; GA: Virtual Meetings; Gam-Anon; Gam-Anon: tools; Schuler et al., GA scoping review (2016); Stewart and Brown (1988), summarized in Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria; Petry, Journal of Gambling Studies (2005).

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