Guide

If GA isn't
for you.

Gamblers Anonymous has helped a lot of people stop. It also puts some people off: the higher power, the steps, being told you'll always be a compulsive gambler, or one room that just didn't feel right. That doesn't mean you're not serious about stopping. It means you need a different door.

If it's pulling hard right now: UK 0808 8020 133 · US 1-800-522-4700 · Australia 1800 858 858 · South Africa 0800 006 008 · other countries. Free, confidential, 24/7.

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First: try a different room

Every GA meeting is run by its members, so they vary a lot. Some are warm, some are cold, some lean religious and some barely mention it. If one meeting put you off, it's worth trying two or three others before deciding GA as a whole isn't for you. Online meetings run around the clock, so you can try several in a week. Find a GA meeting, or read what to expect at your first one.

And you can take what helps and leave the rest. Plenty of people go for the company and the phone numbers, not the steps.

Peer groups without the 12 steps

  • SMART Recovery: free meetings, in person and online, for any addictive behaviour, gambling included. It's practical rather than spiritual: tools for urges, motivation and lifestyle balance, and no labels. You don't have to call yourself an addict.
  • Recovery Dharma: peer meetings built on meditation and Buddhist ideas, without a god. Open to any addiction, with online meetings most days.
  • Problem gambling councils: some run their own free peer meetings. The Delaware Council on Gambling Problems, for example, runs free, confidential support groups on Zoom.

Free counselling, one to one

If groups aren't your thing at all, talking to one trained person may suit you better. In most places it's free.

  • UK: GamCare offers free counselling, and the NHS runs specialist gambling clinics you can refer yourself to. The National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133) can point you to either.
  • US: call 1-800-GAMBLER. Many states fund free treatment, and the helpline will tell you what's available where you live. NCPG lists state services.
  • Australia: Gambling Help Online offers free counselling by chat, email or phone (1800 858 858), any hour.
  • South Africa: the NRGP offers free counselling through its helpline (0800 006 008).
  • Anywhere: Gambling Therapy, run by the charity Gordon Moody, offers free online support with qualified counsellors.

Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the approach most used for gambling problems. It works on the thinking that keeps gambling going ("I'm due a win", "I can get it back") and on what to do when an urge hits. A counsellor from any of the services above can usually offer it, or tell you where to get it. If gambling sits alongside drinking, drugs, anxiety or depression, say so; treating them together tends to go better.

If you gamble and drink or use

Some people find AA or NA rooms easier to get to and a better fit, and talk about gambling there as part of the same problem. There's nothing wrong with that. What matters is having people to call.

"But I'm not a compulsive gambler forever"

You don't have to accept a label to stop. Call it whatever helps you keep going. One thing worth holding onto, though: the relief after rock bottom fades, and the pull often comes back months later, when life is calmer and the losses feel distant. Whichever path you choose, set it up now so it's still there then: self-exclusion, a bank gambling block, and at least one person who knows. More on that in what to do after a relapse.

How to choose

  • Want people who've been there? A peer group: GA, SMART, Recovery Dharma.
  • Want privacy and a plan? One-to-one counselling.
  • Not sure? Call your country's helpline and ask. They do this all day, and it costs nothing. Find yours.

Many people combine two: a group for company, a counsellor for the hard stuff. Try one this week rather than waiting to find the perfect one.

Our app, You vs The House, can sit alongside any of these. It blocks betting sites on your iPhone, puts a person you trust on your side, and has small crews of people at a similar stage who pull for each other when an urge hits. It isn't a replacement for counselling or a group.

Sources and further help

Updated 31 October 2026. Checked against the sources above. How we write these guides. You vs The House is a support tool, not medical advice. If you're struggling, a helpline or your doctor can help.

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