Since the early days when Las Vegas first became a gambling oasis in the Nevada desert, sex has played an important role in its entertainment scene. When Bugsy Siegel first opened his Tropicana Casino in this sleepy desert town, he featured beautiful female hostesses and lavish shows with scantily clad women.
That formula is still prevalent in Las Vegas casinos today.

At nearly every casino, beautiful cocktail waitresses dressed in ultra short skirts and low-cut tops float around the gaming parlors dispensing smiles and free drinks. The entertainment venues feature topless reviews and risqué entertainment. Just walking along the sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard, you pass numerous newspaper cabinets flashing revealing photos of female escorts and nude photo models. Street solicitors attempt to thrust flyers advertising sexual services into your hand. Las Vegas certainly gives the appearance of living up to its reputation as “sin city”.

You may have heard that Nevada is the only state in the USA where prostitution is legal. That is correct; but prostitution is not legal everywhere in Nevada, and it is not legal in Las Vegas. That’s right! Prostitution is illegal in sin city. It is only legal in certain counties that have chosen to make it legal. Clark County Nevada and its principal city Las Vegas chose to not make prostitution legal. It is also illegal in Henderson, Laughlin and Boulder City.

What about those female escorts, the nude models and the out-call girls that are advertised on flyers and in newspapers all over the city? Those advertisements enticingly suggest that you might purchase more than just companionship. They seem to suggest that sexual favors could be available.

Be very careful! Every year, thousands of visitors to Las Vegas are robbed, cheated or assaulted by unscrupulous escorts or models. You are unlikely to seek protection from the police if you break the law by patronizing illegal prostitutes.

If you are seeking legal prostitution

If you are seeking legal prostitution in Nevada, you must drive at least sixty miles out of Las Vegas to find one of the state licensed brothels in Nye County. The town of Pahrump, located 62 miles east of the city along route 160, is home to the Chicken Ranch and Sherri’s Ranch, two state licensed houses of prostitution. If you drive north on route 95 you will eventually pass near the Cherry Patch Ranch, Mabel’s Ranch, the Cottontail Ranch and a few other “ranches” featuring legal prostitution. There are several dozen more “ranches” in northern Nevada near Carson City and Reno.
All of these licensed bordellos are regulated by the state of Nevada. Their employees must submit to frequent medical examinations. You can be assured that none of these establishments would engage in fraud, deception or any illegal activity that might risk them loss of their state license.

How much does it cost? I can’t speak from personal experience, but I have heard that you must negotiate each transaction personally with the entertainer of your choice. Unless you have $300 to $500 minimum to spend, don’t bother going.

Sexually oriented entertainment

You can find plenty of erotic entertainment in Las Vegas. Many of the major casinos feature gala Las Vegas style shows that prominently feature scantily clad or semi-nude dancers and ribald entertainers. Typically, the adult reviews come in two versions. The early shows that begin around 8PM are usually more family oriented and reveal less naked flesh. The later productions that begin around 10PM typically feature topless dancers and show more nudity.
There are plenty of strip tease clubs and bars featuring exotic dancers in Las Vegas. Most of them are located near the northern part of Las Vegas Boulevard between Sands Rd. and Sahara Ave. Some are located to the west of the I-15 throughway and a few are in the downtown area. They typically feature topless dancers and fully nude dancers plus personal lap dances. All of them charge an admission fee of around $20, but drinks, lap dances and gratuities are extra.

Sex clubs

In addition to the strip clubs, there are several gay and lesbian bars and clubs in Las Vegas. There are also some “swingers” clubs and a few other clubs catering to various erotic fetishes. The swingers clubs are establishments that provide a venue for sexual liaisons between couples and/or singles. They usually charge entry fees that are typically highest for unescorted males. In return, the swingers clubs provide an environment conducive to unrestrained sexual activity. The fetish clubs provide environments for the fulfillment of various non-traditional sexual activities.

The tourism agency for Las Vegas has promoted a slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. This implies that: in Las Vegas, you can engage in behaviors that you would not normally try at home and it will remain discrete. I suggest that you adopt the maxim: “Be careful!”

The Law

"Prostitution is legal out here, right?", the tourist asked the security officer in the casino. "Tell him. Tell my friend here, that it's legal.", the man went on. "Yes, it's legal in some Nevada counties. No, it's not legal in Clark County. Las Vegas is in Clark County. So, no it's not legal in Las Vegas, or Mesquite or Laughlin or Henderson or Boulder City.", the officer explained. "Then why is there one sitting at your bar over there?", the tourist asked.

"I said it's illegal in this town. I didn't say there weren't any prostitutes. We'll take care of it.", the officer replied.

That's a scene that is repeated in casinos all over town every day. It's a fairly common belief that prostitution is legal in Las Vegas. Here is Nevada Revised Statute 244.345. NRS 244.345 Dancing halls, escort services, entertainment by referral services and gambling games or devices ; limitation on licensing of houses of prostitution.

In a county whose population is 400,000 or more, the license board shall not grant any license to a petitioner for the purpose of operating a house of ill fame or repute or any other business employing any person for the purpose of prostitution. Clark County, the Nevada county that Las Vegas is situated in, has had a population over 400,000 since the very early 70s. Not that the law had much to do with prostitution here before or shortly after that time. The large, Strip hotels had a prostitution 'center' in those days. The bell captain could provide everything, but we'll get back to that.
Another statute clearly establishes, that where prostitution is legal, the safe distance for a 'house of ill fame', from student classrooms or houses of God is 400 yards.

NRS 201.380 Location of houses of ill fame.
It shall be unlawful for any owner, or agent of any owner, or any other person to keep any house of ill fame, or to let or rent to any person whatever, for any length of time whatever, to be kept or used as a house of ill fame, or resort for the purposes of prostitution, any house, room or structure situated within 400 yards of any schoolhouse or schoolroom used by any public or common school in the State of Nevada, or within 400 yards of any church, edifice, building or structure erected for and used for devotional services or religious worship in this state.'

That said, let's see what Clark County has to say about hookers within county lines. For this, we go to Chapter 12.08 Prostitution, of Title 12, Public Peace, Safety and Morals, of the Clark County Code, where we find that not only is the 'Maintaining of a place of prostitution unlawful', but that 'Accosting and Soliciting (is) unlawful in the county.
So what DOES go on here in Las Vegas?

"See the Bell Captain."

In the 'good ole days', there were girls that worked for the bell desk on a percentage basis. Their business was 'protected', in a sense. A security supervisor was well toked by the bell desk to keep competition out of the house. Competition was mainly called 'mother', 'housewife', secretary, school teacher and many other things during the weekdays. On the busy weekends in Las Vegas, she was called a hooker, 'outside talent'.
Many came up from Los Angeles to pick up a few thousand over the weekend. They were shown out of one place by security and went to the next casino down the line until they were caught and thrown out of there. They didn't go to jail unless they gave someone a real hard time. The bell desk also had a list of girls 'on call'. These were also pretty ladies with day jobs or housewives, and they were mainly locals that the bell desk could trust to not 'trick roll' the customer.
If it was at the request of the casino for a sexual 'comp' to a high roller, the bell desk provided, depending on the tastes of the casino guest.

Just Up The Road

Take Nevada state route 160 north west from Las Vegas for about sixty-two miles and you'll be in Pahrump, Nevada, Nye County, home of Chicken Ranch and Sheri's Ranch. If you like, you can hire a limo to take you there for about $200.00. Continue north on U.S. 95 and you'll eventually come across Cherry Patch Ranch, Mabel's Ranch, Cherry Patch 2, Angel's Ladies Ranch, Shady Lady Ranch and the Cottontail Ranch, all before you reach the Nye County seat, Tonopah.

Do we sound like a real ranching community? We have about nine houses of prostitution or 'ranches' in the southern part of the state and slightly over twenty in the northern part. Some go back to 1867. They catered to railroad builders, miners and, lately, traveling business men.

They are in and out of the news, but not all that frequently. No one seems to pay much attention to their existence anymore. The girls have their medical check-ups regularly, and everything is within the letter of the law.
Escort services are another animal altogether. Security will tell you, not for the record, of course, that they have more trouble with escort service girls ripping people off than any other sex workers in the casinos/hotels.

As the population of Nevada grows at a rapid pace, the persons that come here to retire, escaping places that they didn't really like living in, they will try to make Nevada more like those places that they left. Why? Who knows. They didn't pick Nevada to live in because there were whorehouses here, and eventually they will do away with them and the law that allows them. Then, no state in the country will have legal prostitution. There are many who will be sorry to see those institutions go, nor, why they had to.