Sex Sells Gambling

Researchers at Stanford University have published the results of a recently completed research project and they have discovered what most of the Casino owners (and most major advertisers) have known for years; Sex sells.

The study was conducted by assistant professor of psychology, Brian Knutson who concluded that men were likely to take bigger financial risks after being stimulated by erotic images. Undergraduate males in the research group placed wagers on a game that had a 50-50 chance of winning. After watching the images all of the participants bet more on each game.

He said, "If you go to the casinos, people are wearing skimpy costumes, they're giving away free alcohol, there are bells and lights and sounds which are not necessarily related to the odds but these are cues that might activate the brain and encourage risk taking. Therefore people gamble more."

I laughed when I read that article reporting the results of the study. This is hardly ground breaking news. All you have to do is take a look around any casino and observe the behavior of some of the males when a sexy dealer or cocktail waitress is serving them. I wonder how big was the government grant they received for conducting the study.