Gamblers Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences with gambling problems. It is patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous and has its own recovery program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. There is also an organization within Gamblers Anonymous called Gam-Anon.org which helps spouses, family members, and friends of problem gamblers.http://www.gam-anon.org/

The organization has meetings all over the world, including every state and province in the United States and Canada. As of 2010 there are 53 other countries which hold Gamblers Anonymous meetings.http://gamblersanonymous.org/mtgdirTOP.html The meetings can be "closed" or "open". Closed meetings are for restricted for those with a gambling problem or think they have a gambling problem. Open meetings may include spouses, family members and friends of compulsive gamblers.http://gamblersanonymous.org/mtgdirTOP.html

The concept of Gamblers Anonymous is that compulsive or problem gamblers are sick people who can be cured if they follow a simple program that has proven successful for many other men and women who have had a gambling problem.http://gamblersanonymous.org/qna.html

Gamblers Anonymous was started as a result of a chance meeting between two problem gamblers in January 1957. They had regular meetings between themselves and as the months passed neither returned to gambling. The two decided to start a group and with the help of a prominent newspaper columnist and TV commentator the first group meeting of Gamblers Anonymous was held on September 13, 1957 in Los Angeles, California.http://gamblersanonymous.org/history.html

Gamblers Anonymous asks the following questions to determine if someone has a gambling problem and if they wish to stop gambling. Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of the questions.http://gamblersanonymous.org/20questions.html

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
3. Did gambling affect your reputation?
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5. Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
12. Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?
13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom or loneliness?
16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20. Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?