Really not god: Secularization and pragmatism in Gamblers Anonymous

The paper argues that despite maintaining the image of a twelve-step organization, the central theme of the history of Gamblers Anonymous (GA) in the United States is the increasing secularization of the program of the recovery. The paper documents the increasing secularization and pragmatism of Gamblers Anonymous, as reflected in key documents, despite the spiritual vision of its founding member. The author speculates on why Gamblers Anonymous took a secularized development path. Further research is called for.This research was supported in part by NIAAA post-doctoral grant, 2 T32 AA07240-11, at the Alcohol Research Group (ARG), Berkeley, California. I would like to thank ARG, Mary Phillips, the anonymous reviewers and editor of theJournal of Gambling Studies, Kathy Deierlein, Bob Yamashita, and anonymous members of Gamblers Anonymous. This paper is a revision of one presented at the Fifth National Conference on Gambling Behavior in Duluth, Minnesota during July, 1991.