Free Gambling Recovery Peer Support & GA Phone Meetings — MD
The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling, a program of the University of Maryland School of Medicine funded by the Maryland Department of Health, connects Marylanders struggling with gambling to free peer recovery support and to daily Gamblers Anonymous phone meetings. If sports betting, casinos, lottery, or online gambling has started costing you more than money, there is a person who has been there waiting on the other end of 1-800-GAMBLER, and there is a meeting tonight you can join from wherever you are.
What to Expect
Two free, peer-based paths run side by side. First, the Center’s Peer Recovery Support Specialists are people with lived experience of gambling addiction and recovery. Call or text the Maryland Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER and ask to be connected with a Peer. Peers offer emotional support, information about no-cost treatment for Maryland residents, practical help with things like transportation, and connection to community. They will even go with you to your first Gamblers Anonymous or SMART Recovery meeting. Second, the Maryland Gamblers Anonymous phone meeting meets every day of the week: Monday through Friday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, Saturday from 1:30 to 3:00 PM, and Sunday from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Dial (267) 930-4000 with access code 913 627 911#. New members receive a welcome packet. GA meetings follow the 12-step format, with members sharing experience, strength, and hope; no one is required to speak. Family members affected by someone else’s gambling can find Gam-Anon meetings through the same page.
Who This Group Is For
Any Maryland adult who wants to limit, control, or stop gambling, whether the problem is new or decades old, and whether or not you think it is bad enough to call an addiction. The phone meeting is especially useful for people in rural counties, people without transportation, and people who are not ready to walk into a room. Peer support is confidential and free, and Maryland residents can access counseling for gambling problems at no cost regardless of insurance.
Why Peer Support Works
Gambling disorder carries a distinct shame, partly because the losses are so visible and partly because it is so often hidden. Talking with someone who has lived through the same secrecy and the same debts cuts through that quickly. Peer recovery support has a solid evidence base for reducing relapse and sustaining engagement, and Gamblers Anonymous, founded in 1957, gives members a structured daily practice and a community that expects to hear from them tomorrow.
How to Join
Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537), available 24/7, and ask for a Peer Recovery Support Specialist. To join the daily GA phone meeting, dial (267) 930-4000, access code 913 627 911#, at the scheduled times. Questions about the phone meeting can be emailed to marylandmeeting@gmail.com. All services are free.