Gamblers Anonymous are by far the largest peer led support organisation for anyone experiencing harmful gambling.
With over 280 meetings each week located across the whole of the UK, attended by between 3,500 and 5,000 individuals, they truly are the most accessible form of lived experience based and accessible support here in the UK for anyone seeking to recover from harmful gambling.
Organised along the well proven fellowship model, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, their main delivery model is hosting in-person group meetings where anyone experiencing harm from gambling can turn up and get confidential peer led support – most commonly in the form of advice and listening from other members in the “room”. There are other forms of support, including online rather than in-person meetings, and downloadable literature which we cover later on this page.
We should also highlight their partner organisation – GamAnon – who provide peer led group support for those impacted by another’s gambling – so, Family, Loved Ones and Affected Others.
GamAnon and GA meetings are often held on the same days, but in separate rooms, meaning that gamblers and partners can both access support at the same time.
Gamblers Anonymous is organised on a regional basis with Gamblers Anonymous UK covering England, Wales and Ireland, and a separate Gamblers Anonymous Scotland covering, unsurprisingly, Scotland. Contact details are included at the bottom of this page, and are also shown on the end of the linked videos.
There is a commonly held perception that Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is predominantly attended by men, and possibly older men at that. While the make up of most meetings will usually see a majority present being men the truth is that harmful gambling can affect anyone, regardless of gender or age, and this “equality of harm” is becoming more apparent in the demographics of those who do attend meetings. To illustrate this change we would encourage you to watch the In Conversation videos linked later on this page in order to see Hayley, Alex and Pauline talking about their own experiences of attending meetings, the welcome they received, and the many benefits they have obtained from doing so.
In terms of inclusivity GA also now offer a range of different meetings which encourage attendance by individuals with diverse personal characteristics and identities. These include:
- Mixed Meetings – where family, partners and friends are welcome to take part.
- Newcomer Meetings – similar to regular meetings but allowing new members to experience that first step alongside others also in that situation.
- Step Meetings – more suitable for individuals following the 12 Step programme – see below for explanation of what this is.
- Women Preferred Meetings – open to anyone but with a preferred focus on women.
- LGBTQ+ Meetings -again open to anyone but with a preferred focus on individuals from the LGBTQ+ community.
GamAnon
The value of peer led and informed support does not just apply to those battling their own gambling. Possibly the greatest harm which gambling brings with it is not financial loss but the crippling damage and turmoil which it beings to existing relationships and family trust.
GamAnon is therefore a vital and valuable resource to sit alongside GA itself. Partners and families of compulsive gamblers can learn from each other about just how gambling impacts an individual, and how those living with them and also affected by that harm can take active steps to reduce ongoing harm and develop strategies which can allow all parties to regroup, recover, and rebuild their “together” lives in an open and transparent way which helps prevent relapse and further harm occurring.
It is often difficult for someone experiencing harm from their own gambling to be able to reach out and admit their own failings and vulnerabilities, but it is often even harder for someone finding they have been lied to, and harmed by a closely loved one to be able to open up about finding themselves in that situation. The stigma of feeling judged, or considered a fool for wanting to support someone who has betrayed them so badly is not easy to counter. GamAnon offers just that opportunity, a safe and understanding space to be vulnerable without being judged, and to learn from others how they have managed to recover their own lives and relationships.
Quite often partners find that attending both GA and GamAnon at the same time allows them to feel connected and part of the same shared purpose. It can genuinely bring people closer together than they ever realised could be the case as it allows them to be frank and open in sharing worries, hopes, and vulnerabilities, and also because it frequently highlights that any connection or relationship is only ever strengthened if both parties feel they are jointly feeding into it and thus reversing the sense of disconnection which unaddressed harmful gambling inevitably brings with it.
Long Term Recovery
Gamblers Anonymous (and GamAnon) enables individuals to come along as often or as frequently as they wish. Some people find that attending meetings can become part of their personal routine, while for others it can simply be something which they feel able to access as and when they feel they want to have that communal support. Unlike more formal services there is no limit to how many meetings you can attend, there is no prescribed number of sessions. GA is basically there whenever you need it to be, for as long as you want it to be. This means that the average meeting will likely include people with experience of recovery lasting from one day to many decades.
This mix of age and experience can be a valuable thing. While each person’s journey is unique to them it is also true that almost every situation which you may encounter in addressing harmful impacts of gambling on your own life will likely have already been encountered by someone else in the room. Above all else, meetings are places where people gather together to help each other problem solve, share life situations and stories, and feel that there are supportive people who are always there to understand.
In terms of cost there is no “fee” as such, with individuals simply being asked to give what they can afford to do when at meetings, meaning that for those recently attending and still fighting compulsive gambling there is no expectation of them having money to offer up.
Fellowship Model
The Fellowship model often attracts some mixed publicity or misunderstanding, with many people wrongly assuming that there is a religious element to GA. While it is true that the language used within GA can be quite dogmatic – such as the use of terminology such as Compulsive Gambler – it would be wrong to link this to religious observance. GA is a secular organisation and all faiths, races, creeds, and ideologies are welcome.
One of the primary principles of GA is one of guaranteed confidentiality, with a defined goal of ensuring that everyone attending a meeting can do so safe in the knowledge that their presence, attendance, and any personal information shared in that space will not be talked about outside of the meeting. If you have seen the film Fight Club then in effect a GA version of The First Rule applies – you can talk about GA and the benefits you personally have gotten from being part of GA, but you cannot reveal any information which may identify someone else as being a fellow attendee. Which seems a very sensible arrangement, but one which can be misunderstood or misrepresented by some as making GA out to be some sort of secretive society. It is not. It is an open and welcoming space for all.
The 12 Step Programme
Another area where people outside of GA can sometimes have a slightly negative perception, and which also feeds into the misconception of GA being somehow religious, is when it comes to the 12 Step Programme. For anyone unaware of this, the 12 Steps is a structured approach to recovery from addiction that emphasizes personal accountability, support, and spiritual growth. Consisting of 12 distinct processes – or steps – towards taking control over addiction it was first developed in 1934 in the US for use with alcohol addiction, and while it does make reference to God and the concept of a higher power within the defined steps these can easily be adapted to encompass non-religious belief. While closely linked to the term fellowship – suggesting shared identity and values – this can probably be better understood in today’s language as really meaning “the support of peers”.
The 12-step programme is undoubtedly a contentious concept in addiction recovery, with some people finding it gives them the structure and rules they need to live life abstinent from gambling, while others feel that it focuses overly on the process of avoiding gambling rather than exploring the cause of why someone gambles and addressing that as well. GLEN are happy to step aside from that particular debate and simply to emphasize that recovery is a very personal thing, and that whatever someone finds working for them should be seen as being a positive approach. The good news is that while GA allows individuals to follow the 12 Step programme, and offers literature to support its use, the 12 Steps are NOT a pre-requisite for attending GA meetings. Individuals are free to follow the programme or not, as they see fit.
Indeed, GA now offers separate “Step Meetings” which are designed to be of more appeal to any individuals who do choose to follow the 12 Step programme, thus meaning that most meetings not designated as such can be expected not to focus in on the programme steps but on the delivery of peer support.
GLEN’s view on GA
GA is undoubtedly the largest single Peer led, Lived Experience based community currently existing in the UK, and indeed the world.
Many GLEN members actively attend GA and GamAnon meetings, and get incredible benefits from doing so. As touched on above, it is a framework of support which has both supporters and detractors, which is something we have no problem with openly identifying. Our own philosophy is that the best route to recovery is the one which you find works best for you, and that there is no “right” or “wrong” approach. To us, differences of opinion merely demonstrate the advantage and need of having a wide and varied choice of support options in order to allow you as a person to be free to choose your own recovery. In this respect, awareness of split opinion on the merits of GA should not be seen as making them somehow “different” to other methods of support but simply reflects the fact that they are such a big and ubiquitous resource that inevitably there will some people who are outspoken with their own opinions on them.
For each person deciding that GA is not for them there are probably two or three times as many who swear by the value which GA has brought, and is still bringing, to their own lives and recovery. GA and “the rooms” are the living embodiment of Lived Experience as a peer support mechanism and GLEN will always be grateful and thankful for their existence and the unique resource they represent.
What we do often find is that the “vibe” around any particular GA meeting can vary markedly depending on who is the primary organizer, and who are the regular attendees. Personality can slightly dictate how meetings are run, as well as the content discussed and how big a factor the 12 steps may be in that space. But the good news is that with there being so many different meetings happening across the country that even if you attend one and find it not quite matching your own needs then you shouldn’t have to travel too far to find another meeting which might feel entirely different for you.
We would strongly suggest that if you are looking for an available form of support for your own gambling (or indeed another’s gambling via GamAnon) then please do consider giving GA a go and try not to immediately dismiss it out of hand should the first meeting you go to not quite match up to what you are looking for.
GA also offers the possibility of accessing sponsorship – in effect, having someone specific there for you if you need an individual to share your concerns with – but again this is simply an option which you are under no pressure or obligation to seek out or accept.
People may also be aware of achievement medallions/coins which can be handed out at special GA meetings to mark an individual’s attainment of various years of abstinence from gambling. Our view on this is that it can be a source of great pride and self-achievement to have your recovery marked and celebrated with peers in this way, but we do feel it prudent to advise that this practice should not be seen as being a scorecard of success or failure meaning that lapsing somehow represents a failure and waste of lost years.
Everyone in a GA room is there for the same reason, self-help, and understands how difficult it is to overcome gambling. The mantra which best describes the GA ethos is… “take life one day at a time”. For any recovering addict there is a recognisable truth in that. None of us can change what we did yesterday, only that which we are still to today, so celebrate “the now” and forgive “the then”.
If there is one place where we can be sure of being surrounded by like minded people who share understanding and pass no judgement then it is in a GA “room”.
Our last comment on GA and GamAnon is therefore this.
The rooms are there, easy to access, and are welcoming of all regardless of where you are living or at what stage of recovery/gambling you find yourself at.
Literature – and knowing where to start?
The Gamblers Anonymous website has a large library of literature which can be downloaded and used offline, or as part of involvement in meetings. Knowing how and where to start with any new venture is always a challenge and we would suggest that if you are trying to decide if GA may be something you are willing to try that you check out the guides on their website – including the useful “A Newcomer Asks” – a FAQ covering questions which often feature in the minds of those either turning up for the first time, or just contemplating it.
Finding a meeting to attend is also very simple. The GA main webpage has a meeting finder with a handy expandable map to find what meetings are happening local to you, and when and where they are being held.
But reading and experiencing can be quite different, and taking that first step into the unknown will always be daunting, which is why we finish this guide to Gamblers Anonymous with the next section which includes videos from actual GA members discussing their own experiences.
Facing that First Meeting Challenge
Attending a meeting for the first time, effectively walking into a room of complete strangers and not knowing how you will be received, can of course be a very intimidating and daunting prospect. It does take courage, and one of the slight regrets which GLEN has about GA is that they have not traditionally been very outward looking, or overly good at projecting themselves in ways which allow people to understand what GA is all about without actually attending that first meeting. The need for confidentiality for their members has perhaps hindered their ability and willingness to throw open the doors of a meeting to let people see for themselves what actually happens inside. We are therefore gladdened to report that there are signs of change in this respect. With so many GA members also being active in other Lived Experience led bodies in the gambling harms sector, often at senior levels, we are starting to see a definite movement towards greater collaboration across Lived Experience involvement.
One very positive outcome of this slight shift has been that GLEN have been able to engage collaboratively with GA on events and projects, and particularly with the National Public Relations team, and we have been delighted to have GA participation in some of our recent events. But perhaps our biggest cause for celebration in this respect has been GA’s willing involvement in our In Conversation video series – a series of interviews/conversations which GLEN have held with individuals with their own Lived Experience of harmful gambling who have either accessed services or now work with delivering services around treatment and support for gambling harms.
We are therefore really happy to be able to bring you three such conversations with individuals who support and attend GA meetings. The purpose of our In Conversation series is to try and give awareness to the human element of support services operating in this sector, by meeting some of those individuals and hearing their journeys and experiences of being involved.
If you are debating whether or not to contact or attend Gamblers Anonymous then we highly recommend watching these videos in order to see real people talking honestly and openly about what led them to GA, and how it has helped them in their own lives. We are grateful to Alex, Hayley and Pauline for their participation and hope that by watching these videos they may be able to answer questions you might have in your head about GA.
If nothing else we hope that you will find their stories relatable and representative of the welcome which new attendees can expect when taking that first, scary step into a room of seeming strangers.
Website Links
The following URL links are to official Gamblers Anonymous and GamAnon websites covering the UK.
Website Links
Gamblers Anonymous (England, Wales and Ireland)