The term “open meeting” means a GA meeting that spouses and friends of GA members are welcome to attend. A “closed meeting” refers to a meeting where only those with a gambling problem are eligible to attend and participate.

The thinking behind the open meeting is that the spouses and friends of a problem gambler will have a better chance of understanding the real nature of the problem when they are permitted to attend GA meetings. Although the work of GA is primarily concerned with the compulsive gamblers themselves, experience has shown that a compulsive gambler’s chances of recovering are enhanced when his or her family has an opportunity to learn all they can about compulsive gambling. In areas where the meetings are usually open, the spouses and family usually enter wholeheartedly into the various other activities of GA, such as social events and, of course, the Gam-Anon family group. It should be noted that at open meetings, family members are not permitted to speak. They can only listen and observe. Questions or discussions take place before or after these open meetings. Our experience has been that the presence of the families at GA meetings has never created any great problems that would diminish a compulsive gambler’s chances of recovery (Gamblers Anonymous Group Handbook, page 8).

GA has many types of meetings. Here are some examples. Keep in mind that the exact format of meetings will vary from one jurisdiction to another.

Pressure Relief Group Meetings
Back in the mid-1960's, GA recognized that many members were presenting with huge debts, many creditors, and relationship and legal problems. Many of these new members believed the only way out of their difficulties was to continue gambling, hoping for the big win. In order to challenge this belief, GA felt they needed to show the new member a concrete alternative.

The Pressure Relief Group Meeting is considered a valuable tool for compulsive gamblers. This confidential procedure is facilitated by an elected and experienced chairperson and includes the gambler, his or her partner, a concerned family member if he or she is not partnered, the gambler’s sponsor and the partner’s sponsor. There may be additional members of GA if the area has a committee. The objective of the meeting is to identify areas in one’s life that are causing pressure or stress. Starting with the financial information can often lead to legal or vocational problems. The facilitator will gather financial information regarding income, assets, living expenses and debt, including a detailed list of all creditors so that a realistic plan can be put into place that provides for basic needs and debt resolution. GA strongly believes that restitution plays an important role in the recovery process. The goal of this process is to help relieve the pressure of crisis situations, allowing the gambler to focus more effectively on the recovery process.

Because there are many areas across the country where GA is not well established, the Board of Trustees of Gamblers Anonymous voted a few years ago in favour of allowing professional counsellors to purchase and use their pressure relief pamphlet and financial forms for their clients. Keep in mind that gamblers always want to pay off their gambling debts first, whether they are actively gambling or attempting to stop gambling. Why? They have learned from the past that if they pay their gambling debts, it’s much easier to keep borrowing. GA has learned over the last 40 years that those who pay off their debts quickly are more likely to return to gambling.

Step Meetings
Step meetings devote their time to one of the 12 steps each week. GA provides a piece of literature that explains each step in detail. The literature also has some thought-provoking questions and ideas for discussion. After the literature is read, each member has an opportunity to share how the information relates to them. Sometimes “cross comments” are allowed at step meetings. Cross comments are made when members want to share a personal experience related to the speaker’s issue to indicate what has or has not worked for them in a similar set of circumstances.

Topic Meetings
During this type of meeting, the Chairperson will decide on a specific topic for the meeting. Examples could include honesty, willingness to change, communication, one of the steps, willpower, relationships, as well as many others. Members proceed by sharing how the specific topic relates to their own circumstances. If a new member is present and wishes to speak, he or she is permitted to share whatever he or she wishes. Usually members are also permitted to go off topic if they need to share something other than the chosen topic. Individual groups can decide whether cross comments are allowed or not.

Therapy Meetings
Therapy meetings are similar in structure to topic meetings. The difference is that members can share whatever they wish. This is an opportunity for members to disclose any personal problems they may be experiencing, share any progress they have made or what the GA program is providing them. Once again, therapy meetings may or may not allow cross comments. Any cross comments by a member should be related to the member’s own personal experience.

Speaker Meetings
In speaker meetings a GA group schedules one of their own members or a member from a different group to tell his or her personal story, sharing with the group what life was like before, during and after gambling. Some meetings will have a speaker every week while a therapy or topic meeting may choose to have a speaker meeting once a month. Individual groups make these decisions on their own. Usually when a speaker finishes his or her story, he or she allows questions from the other members. Speaker meetings are usually “open” meetings.

Some areas have started GA meetings specifically for women or young adults. Find out what’s available in your area. A good understanding of GA can be an effective

Sponsorship is a mentoring process between a newer member and one with a good understanding of the 12-step process. This relationship also allows an individual the freedom to share information that may be too sensitive to disclose in the presence of a group on a one-to-one basis. The sense of freedom for the gambler can be positively overwhelming since this experience is often the first time he or she has felt cared for and understood without being criticized. This process can set the stage for building on one’s positive qualities such as trust, honesty and humility.

Most problem gamblers will verbally and emotionally guard themselves from family, close friends and co-workers. They sense that any disclosure regarding their gambling abuse will lead to potential confrontation and bruised self-esteem. It is suggested that a newer member simply ask someone he or she trusts and feels comfortable with to be his or her sponsor. The best sponsors are those who are non judgmental as well as good listeners. If an individual wishes, a short-term sponsor can be appointed by discussing it with the group secretary.

What do sponsors do?

• Sponsors do everything they can within the limits of their experience and capacity to help a new member to achieve and maintain the GA program by following the 12 steps of recovery. They demonstrate by their own example and life experiences what GA has meant to them.
• They encourage and assist the newcomer to attend a variety of GA meetings and functions for the purpose of obtaining a number of viewpoints and interpretations of the GA program.
• They encourage the newcomer to keep an open mind about the GA program if he or she is not at first convinced that he or she is a compulsive gambler.
• They introduce the newcomer to other members.
• They make themselves available for guidance when the newcomer feels he or she has certain problems.
• They review the importance of the 12 steps of recovery.
• They impress on the newcomer the importance of the tradition of personal anonymity and the significance of other GA traditions.
• In all their interactions with a newcomer sponsors attempt to keep the fact that it is the recovery program, not the sponsors’ personal talent or position, that is important. The sponsor should attend Pressure Relief meetings but not act as the chairperson.  resource for many of your clients.

Should Sponsors Lend Money to a Newcomer?

• Money should not be lent to or borrowed from a newcomer. GA has but one primary purpose, to help the compulsive gambler recover from his or her gambling problem. GA is not a philanthropic or job-finding society.
• GA does offer the most important thing that is needed: recovery from a gambling problem and return to a normal way of thinking and living. Money or lack of it has never been a key factor in an individual’s ability to remain in the program.

Can a Newcomer Change Sponsors?

• Of course. In fact, an effort should be made to expose a newcomer to as many older members as possible to give the new member an opportunity to select a sponsor with whom he or she feels most comfortable and who can be most helpful to him or her in GA.

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