The quest for an effective medication therapy for problem gambling remains an important
priority for the problem gambling treatment research field. While several medications have
been evaluated in controlled clinical trials, no medication has been shown to unequivocally
reduce gambling behaviour and, to date, no medication has been approved for treating this
disorder. Recently, topiramate, indicated for the treatment of seizure disorders, has shown
some promise as a medication therapy for problem gambling. In this project, the efficacy of
topiramate will be evaluated in a placebo-controlled clinical trial, the first study to do
so. The interaction of the effects of the medication and gambling sub-type will be examined
to determine whether the efficacy of topiramate is correlated with the specific
biopsychosocial history of the gambler.