Eye candy can cost you in the casino

Ever wonder what showgirls have to do with casino gambling? And why casino cocktail waitresses serve drinks in short skirts? The opportunity for men to indulge in as many vices as possible is one answer, but those individual indulgences may be more connected than they appear: Just like the free booze, the ladies are there to make guys looser with their money.

According to Men's Health, researchers from Stanford University found that erotic thoughts can cause men to throw more caution to the wind with respect to financial risk-taking. Using what's arguably not the most fairly balanced study variables, researchers had study participants look at either a steamy photo of a sexy woman or a home appliance. They then tracked the amount of money each man spent while gambling, finding that the group staring at the racy photos were more liberal with their money. Brain scans further revealed that looking at pictures of the hotties lit up areas in the mens' brains, associated with taking financial risk, like the Vegas strip.

"You anticipate that the beautiful woman is your reward, instead of the cash prize," says study author Brian Knutson, Ph.D. in his statement in the magazine. He also suggests thinking of something scary as a means of keeping keeping your cash stashed, as fearful thoughts were found to make men gamble less.