Gambling study bets on ketamine to help addicts

Gamblers will be given ketamine as part of a new study into addiction.

Researchers at Exeter University will look at whether the drug’s effect on a person’s memory will alter their gambling urges.

Ketamine, a Class B drug widely known as a horse tranquiliser, is also used in hospitals as an anaesthetic.

Researchers said the dose given to participants in the month-long study would be much lower than that delivered by medics, adding that the risk of addiction to the drug was low.

Prof Celia Morgan said the research, the first of its kind in the world, could lead to new treatment options for gambling addicts.