Gamblers Anonymous

Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling problem. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling.

There area no dues or fees for Gamblers Anonymous membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.

Gamblers Anonymous is not allied with any sect, denomination, political or other interest, organisation or institution; it does not wish to engage in any controversy and it neither endorses nor opposes any cause. Our primary purpose is to stop gambling and to help other compulsive gamblers to do the same.

Most of us have been unwilling to admit that we are real problem gamblers. No one likes to think they are different from their fellows. Therefore, it is not surprising that our gambling careers have been characterised by countless vain attempts to prove we could gamble like other people. The idea that somehow, some day, we will control our gambling is a great obsession of every compulsive gambler. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it into the gates of prison, insanity and death.

We learned that we had to concede fully that at our innermost selves, we are compulsive gamblers. This is the first step in our recovery. With reference to gambling, the delusion that we are like other people has to be smashed.

We have lost our ability to control our gambling. We know that no real compulsive gambler ever regains control. All of us felt at times that we were re-gaining control, but such intervals - usually brief - were inevitably followed by still less control, often leading to painful and incomprehensible demoralisation.

We are convinced that gamblers of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period of time we get worse, never better.