Please NOTE! Due to COVID-19 most physical meetings are closed. A few meetings have opened up and require proper social distancing including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart, bringing your own book if you have one to avoid sharing materials. Please do NOT attend a meeting if you are sick or suspect you may be asymptomatic. Please see calendar for in person meetings. Furthermore, there are a number of other ways to connect to members of GA.
The GA TELEPHONE HOTLINE can be called at any time 1-855-222-5542 or (888) 233-8547.
Phone conference meetings are available (GA approved). In an effort to help those members whose meetings have closed as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus), the Telephone Conference Call Committee has expanded the Wednesday night meeting to include EVERY NIGHT of the week from 6:00-8:00 PM Pacific time (9:00-11:00 PM Eastern time). The Telephone Conference Call meeting information can be found at GA Telephone meetings.
Following the closure of the physical meetings, GA San Diego created a means of communicating with other members of the Gamblers Anonymous fellowship. There are over twenty online meetings which were created for the sole purpose of connecting two or more members together during a period of uncertainty and increased anxiety. Staying connected and avoiding isolation is a key to this program. One meeting occurs every night at 7:00–9:00 PM PST. There are other meetings that correspond (roughly) to the physical meetings on different days and other times. These include Monday meetings hosted by Solana Beach (7:00PM–9:00PM), Tuesday meetings hosted by Santee (1:00PM-2:00PM) and La Mesa ("Young Adults friendly meeting"; 7:00-9:00PM); Wednesday meetings hosted by Escondido (7:00PM–8:00PM), Rancho Bernardo (7:00PM–8:00PM), Temecula (7:00PM-8:00PM), San Diego (9:30PM-11:00PM); Friday meetings are hosted by San Diego (1:00PM-2:00PM; Step study meeting), Scripps Ranch (7:00PM–8:00PM), and on the last Friday of the month, Temecula Milestone meeting (7:00PM-8:00PM); Saturday meetings are hosted by Santee (1:00PM- 2:30PM), Poway (5:00PM- 7:00PM) and San Diego (9:30PM- 10:45PM); Sunday meetings are hosted by Mt Soledad (8:30AM-9:30AM), Vista (11:00AM-12:00PM), and La Mesa (4:00PM-5:00PM). The San Diego/So Riverside Area3A Official Zoom Meeting List can be obtained by emailing webmaster@sandiegoga.org or calling the help line at 1-855-222-5542, or clicking on San Diego/So Riverside Area3A Official Zoom Meeting List.
This section provides more information about the different types of Gamblers Anonymous meetings, local meetings within the San Diego and South Riverside counties. It also provides a link to the official Gamblers Anonymous International meeting locator and FAQs to help answer any questions you may have about meetings.
Spouses, family, and friends of the gambler are welcome to attend and observe the meeting.
Only those with a gambling problem, or those who think they may have a gambling problem, with a desire to stop gambling, are eligible to attend and participate.
This type of meeting would be the same as a "Closed Meeting" but the members would vote to include certain groups such as health professionals, guests attending with first time members, and persons with other addictions in need of a meeting.
These meetings are a joint meeting with Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon members in one room. Unless specified, this type of meeting is not open to the public.
This type of meeting concentrates on therapy based on the 12 Steps of Recovery. Each meeting runs their step meetings a bit differently, as dictated by the conscience of the group.
This type of meeting allows short comments in response to a share.
To find a meeting outside the San Diego we recommend using the locator at www.gamblers anonymous.org. This locator will help you find meetings, both nationally and internationally.
Two Newcomer Meetings 90-Day Room (Su6) and Monday Newcomer Meeting (M3) meet at the Vista La Mesa Christian Church, 4210 Massachusetts Ave, La Mesa, CA 91941. The goals of these meetings are to:
1) provide help and hope for new members,
2) explain how to use GA tools, and
3) improve membership retention. This works if members with recovery attend and encourage new members, stress the importance of meetings, share how GA has helped in their recovery, and promote discussion during break or after the meetings.
Featured Speakers or Topics of Discussion may include Pressure Relief, Meeting and Telephone List, Page 17 of the Combo Book, Unity Steps, Recovery Steps, Sponsorship, GAMANON, GA Literature, GA Organization (I.S.O. and Intergroup), Trustees, and Personal testimony.