JILI365 Support Group Directory: Gambling Help You Can Join from the PH
A gambling support group is a free, peer-led meeting where people talk about their gambling.
- JILI365 Bawi Meaning
- Bawi means to take something back.
- JILI365 Cool Off
- A cool off is a short pause from playing that you ask for, lasting days or weeks.
- JILI365 Digital Wellbeing
- On an Android phone, open Settings, then Digital Wellbeing, then Chrome, and tap Set site timer next to the lobby's site.
- JILI365 Loss Aversion
- Loss aversion is the tendency for a loss to feel worse than an equal gain feels good.
- JILI365 Quit Gambling
- To quit gambling, tell one person today, remove every saved login and payment detail from your phone, and call a helpline or join a meeting within the week.
- JILI365 Stop Loss
- A stop loss is the peso amount you decide, before playing, that ends the session when you have lost it.
- JILI365 Utang From Gambling
- When gambling leaves you with utang, stop borrowing first, then list every amount owed and to whom.
- JILI365 Winning Streak
- A winning streak tells you nothing about the next bet.
A support group for gambling is a room, or a Zoom call, where people who gamble or live with a gambler talk honestly about it and listen to others do the same. You do not need to be at your worst to attend, and nobody asks you to prove anything. This directory sets out the groups you can reach from the Philippines, what each one is like and where to read the current schedule. It sits inside the reality check pillar, next to the pages on quitting and on money.
Support group options in the Philippines
Each body below publishes its own contact details, so take numbers and times from its site.
| Group | Who it is for | How it runs | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gamblers Anonymous Philippines | You, if you want to stop gambling | Face-to-face home groups and daily Zoom meetings | Twelve-step fellowship; free |
| Gam-Anon Philippines | Families and friends of a problem gambler | Hotline and a weekly Zoom meeting | The meeting is for the people around the gambler |
| SMART Recovery | You, for gambling or other addictive behaviour | Online and in-person meetings through its meeting finder | Skills-based, with no religious content |
| National Problem Gambling Helpline | Anyone affected | Phone line, 24/7, free | Referrals to treatment, not a meeting |
What a Gamblers Anonymous Philippines meeting is like
Gamblers Anonymous describes itself as a fellowship of men and women who share experience, strength and hope so they can recover from a gambling problem. The only requirement is a desire to stop gambling, and there are no dues or fees. Its program is twelve steps, and the steps refer to a Power greater than ourselves, which suits some people and not others.
Gamblers Anonymous Philippines lists home groups for these cities on its own meetings page:
- Baguio
- Quezon City (Eastwood)
- Calamba, Laguna
- Cebu City
- Makati
- Mabalacat, Pampanga
- Bocaue, Bulacan
It also runs a daily virtual meeting on Zoom, with a morning and an evening session, plus a Thursday meeting for women and a Saturday twelve-step discussion. The times on its page are in Philippine time, so read them again before you log in. Its mobile line is 0915 938 2808.
SMART Recovery as a different kind of support group
If a twelve-step program does not fit, SMART Recovery is the other path to try. It calls itself an evidence-informed method grounded in Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and its stated goals are building motivation, coping with urges, managing thoughts and feelings, and living a balanced life. Its meetings are led by trained facilitators, there is no religious content, and you can use it alongside other approaches.
SMART Recovery was founded in 1994 and now reports more than 2,500 groups in 23 or more countries. Its meeting finder shows online and in-person sessions, and its site publishes free tools such as an Urge Log and a Cost Benefit Analysis worksheet. Open the finder from its own site to see what is on this week from the Philippines.
| SMART Recovery fact | Its own description |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Reach | More than 2,500 groups, 23 or more countries |
| Led by | Trained facilitators |
| Free tool | Urge Log, Cost Benefit Analysis |
For families: Gam-Anon
When someone else’s gambling is hurting you, the group to look for is Gam-Anon. Gam-Anon Philippines runs a 24-hour hotline on 0995 110 1327 and a virtual meeting every Saturday at 5:00 PM. Its own site describes it as a support community for people affected by someone else’s gambling.
| Gam-Anon Philippines | Detail from its own site |
|---|---|
| Hotline | 0995 110 1327, 24 hours |
| Virtual meeting | Every Saturday, 5:00 PM |
| reachout@gam-anonphilippines.org |
What to do before your first meeting
You are afraid someone you know will see you.
Choose a virtual meeting from your own room. Both Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon Philippines present anonymity as part of how they work, so read their meeting pages for how to join.
You owe money and feel you cannot go until it is sorted.
Go first. Money problems are the reason most people attend, and the plan for utang after gambling shows what to do between meetings. A group does not ask what you owe.
You keep going back to win the loss back.
Say that sentence in the meeting. Trying to win back a loss is a pattern the groups know well, and the entry on the bawi meaning shows why it costs more than it returns.
Finally, read the responsible gaming page for the 21+ rule and how limits fit with these groups.
FAQ
Do I have to be a heavy gambler to join a support group?
No. Gamblers Anonymous says its only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling. If you are asking whether you belong, a first meeting is the cheapest way to find out.
Magkano ang bayad sa Gamblers Anonymous?
Wala. Gamblers Anonymous says there are no dues or fees and that the group supports itself through its own contributions. Attending a first meeting costs nothing.
Will people know I gamble if I join?
Anonymity is in the name. Gamblers Anonymous answers the question of why its members are anonymous on its Questions and Answers page, and Gam-Anon Philippines states that it respects privacy and upholds complete anonymity.
What if I am the family member, not the gambler?
Gam-Anon Philippines is built for families and friends of problem gamblers. Its own site lists a hotline and a weekly virtual meeting.
Is a support group the same as treatment?
No. A group is peer support. The PAGCOR responsible gaming page lists accredited help centers for treatment and rehabilitation, and the National Problem Gambling Helpline can refer you.