CONNECTICUT · GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS

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Gambling in Connecticut: a brief history

Connecticut's gambling history is anchored by two tribal casinos and a deliberate state policy of paying for the consequences. Foxwoods Resort Casino opened in 1992 on Mashantucket Pequot land in Ledyard and was, for a stretch in the 1990s and early 2000s, the largest casino in the world by gaming-floor square footage. Mohegan Sun followed in 1996 on Mohegan land in Uncasville. The two properties anchored a tourism economy that drew visitors from New York, Boston, and the entire Northeast corridor, and they reshaped the household economics of southeastern Connecticut for a generation. Sports betting and online casino gaming were legalized in May 2021 and launched that October under a tightly limited licensing structure: only the two tribes and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation can operate, with the tribes partnered to FanDuel and DraftKings respectively. The compact gives Connecticut one of the most concentrated legal-operator markets in the country, and the helpline-call growth since October 2021 has tracked the national pattern of mobile-betting expansion.

Gamblers Anonymous in Connecticut

Gamblers Anonymous in Connecticut grew alongside the casino economy of the 1990s. Early groups in Hartford, New Haven, and Norwich predated Foxwoods, but the fellowship expanded sharply after 1992 as casino employees, regulars, and families began showing up to meetings. Today there are roughly 34 active GA meetings statewide, with the densest cluster in the Hartford / New Britain corridor and a second cluster in southeastern Connecticut close to the casinos themselves. Online attendance is meaningful here: a Connecticut gambler who lives an hour from the nearest in-person meeting can join a Zoom group hosted out of New London, Bridgeport, or Waterbury without leaving home. Many CT meetings cross-list with adjacent New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island groups, and long-time members often hold sponsees in more than one state. The fellowship culture in CT has historically been quieter and less casino-specific in language than in Atlantic City, partly because the tribal casinos were destination resorts rather than walk-in neighborhood fixtures.

State-funded recovery resources

Connecticut's problem-gambling infrastructure is unusually mature for a state its size, and it is the differentiator. The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling (CCPG), based in Wethersfield, runs the state's 1-888-789-7777 helpline alongside the national 1-800-GAMBLER number and publishes a directory of credentialed clinicians. The genuine differentiator is Bettor Choice: a state-funded outpatient gambling treatment network established in 1992, the same year Foxwoods opened. Bettor Choice clinics operate at sites across Connecticut and provide free or sliding-scale gambling-specific assessment, individual counseling, and group therapy to qualifying residents, with funding routed through the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). The Connecticut Lottery and the two tribal operators contribute statutorily mandated dollars into the same prevention and treatment fund. Self-exclusion is administered jointly by the tribes and the Department of Consumer Protection's Gaming Division, and the 2021 sports-betting law extended self-exclusion enforcement to the FanDuel, DraftKings, and CT Lottery online platforms.

Connecticut state helpline · 24/7 confidential

1-888-789-7777

Operated by the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling

What recovery looks like in Connecticut

Connecticut's recovery dynamic is shaped by the way two tribal casinos anchor a single rural corner of the state while the rest of Connecticut lives a commuter-suburb life oriented toward Hartford, New Haven, and the New York metro. That split shows up in GA meetings. Groups in Norwich, New London, and Groton tend to draw current and former casino workers, dealers, and people whose problem started inside Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. Groups in Stamford, Greenwich, and Bridgeport draw a different demographic: finance-adjacent commuters, sports bettors who moved their action from offshore books to the legal apps in 2021, and younger players whose first exposure to gambling was a sportsbook promotion rather than a casino floor. The state's recovery community is smaller and tighter than New Jersey's or California's, which has advantages: clinicians at Bettor Choice clinics often know the GA members in their region by name, and warm referrals between fellowship and clinical care happen more easily than in larger states. The Native American context also matters. Both tribes operate their own behavioral health programs, and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes have been deliberate about funding problem-gambling research and treatment as a condition of operating destination casinos in their communities.

34 Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Connecticut

See the live meeting map filtered to Gamblers Anonymous on the live meeting map, or open the full Gamblers Anonymous hub at /meetings/ga/.

Frequently asked

How many GA meetings are there in Connecticut?
There are roughly 34 active Gamblers Anonymous meetings in Connecticut. The largest cluster is in the Hartford / New Britain corridor, with a secondary cluster in southeastern Connecticut near Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, and Waterbury all host weekly meetings as well. About a third are held online via Zoom or conference call, and many in-person groups also offer a hybrid join option.
What is Bettor Choice and how is it different from Gamblers Anonymous?
Bettor Choice is a state-funded outpatient gambling treatment program run through the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. It provides clinical assessment, individual counseling, and group therapy with credentialed therapists, free or low-cost for qualifying residents. Gamblers Anonymous is a free peer-led 12-step fellowship with no clinicians and no insurance billing. The two are complementary: many CT residents do both, with Bettor Choice handling clinical care and GA providing ongoing fellowship and sponsorship.
Is Gamblers Anonymous in Connecticut free?
Yes. Every GA meeting in Connecticut is free. There is no registration, no insurance billing, and no required donation. Groups pass a basket for voluntary contributions, usually one to three dollars, that covers rent and literature. The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling helpline at 1-888-789-7777 and the national 1-800-GAMBLER line are also free, anonymous, and available around the clock.
Do I have to live in Connecticut to attend a GA meeting here?
No. Gamblers Anonymous meetings have no residency requirement. Connecticut groups regularly include attendees from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York, particularly at meetings near the casinos and at online groups hosted from CT. Bettor Choice treatment, on the other hand, is generally restricted to Connecticut residents because it is funded by the state.
Can a Connecticut court order someone into Gamblers Anonymous?
Yes. Connecticut judges can require GA attendance as part of probation, pretrial diversion, or sentencing in cases involving gambling-related theft, embezzlement, or fraud. GA groups will typically sign a court attendance slip on request. The fellowship itself remains anonymous, and members are not asked to identify themselves beyond a first name.

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