Pulsing music. Flashing lights. And the elusive jackpots. That's what keeps gamblers coming back.

"I saw these people that were acting like zombies in front of these slot machines, just totally mesmerized by the video interactivity of those slot machines, winning enough to keep them coming back, and that was what was happening to me," Jeff, a recovering gambler who doesn't want to be identified, tells Ivanhoe.

Jeff was gambling five times a week -- losing about $400 each time. That's $2,000 a week. He says, "I'd drive 100 miles out of my way to go to a casino, spend the night, come back at three in the morning, totally drained, and have business meetings the next morning."

Psychiatrist Suck Won Kim, M.D., treats people like Jeff. He studies the connection between cravings and behavior. "Traditionally, when people receive treatments, they may be able to refrain their behaviors, but they still had to live with their craving," says Dr. Kim, of University of Minnesota Medical School. He says naltrexone, a drug already approved to treat alcoholics, stops cravings and therefore stops the gambling urges.

Jeff says the drug changed his life. "It's helped my relationship with my wife, because I'm not lying to her anymore, covering things up or making excuses and draining our bank account. So, it's changed it in many, many ways." And that's something he can bet on.

Experts say there is a 20-times higher suicide rate among pathological gamblers than among the general population. Dr. Kim's study is expected to last about two and a half years. He says the drug can cause liver problems if mixed with other drugs, such as over-the-counter painkillers. If you're interested in participating, call the University of Minnesota Hospital at (612) 273-9805.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Suck Won Kim, M.D.
University of Minnesota Medical School
(612) 273-9805