If you’ve watched the news or browsed social media, you’ve likely seen at least one story or video about Las Vegas being “dead”.
While it’s true that visitors are down slightly compared to last year (about 5-10%), it’s not something you can really notice while walking around.
However, that does equate to less money, and there are technically few people in the casinos.
So how does that relate to strip clubs? Are they empty? Are they offering deals to bring people back, like some of the big casinos are?
I spoke with a few local strippers I know, as well as two managers at strip clubs here in Vegas, to learn what I could and pass it on to all of you.
The Strip Club Scene in Vegas
In just the past few months, we’ve had two new strip clubs open. These were essentially “takeovers” where the new owners bought the old club, remodeled it, and reopened it as something totally new.
The first was Las Toxicas, and the second was Players. Las Toxicas is a club featuring Latina girls, and Players is a sports bar-themed strip club. Both required extensive remodeling before opening, so the owners likely borrowed a decent amount of money to invest in them before opening the doors.
If things were truly that bad in Vegas, the owners likely wouldn’t have invested that much money in opening new strip clubs.
Also, having visited both clubs, they are doing fine as far as visitors. The weekends are busy, and the girls are still showing up to work, which is the biggest sign of how a club is doing.
For those who don’t know, strippers aren’t hired as employees. They can come and go pretty as much as they please. If a club is dead, the best-looking girls just leave and go somewhere else. So, if a club has hot girls, there is still money being made at the club.
Have Things Slowed Down at Vegas Strip Clubs?
I spoke with a few strippers I know who work at Palomino, Sapphire, and Las Toxicas. They all said that the slow days can be slower. For example, weekdays are usually slow, and they all said those days can be really slow in the last few months.
They also said that’s not too bad since most girls generally don’t make much money during the week, at least until Thursday when things can start to pick up. Some girls do like to pick up shifts during lunch or happy hour, because strip clubs can sometimes get some traffic at those times, even during the week.
However, the strippers did say that the busy nights are still just as busy as they always were, and they can still make decent money.
To sum it up, the slow days are slower, but the busy weekends are still about the same.
A Conversation with Two Strip Club Managers
Asking a stripper about business may not be the wisest way to get information, so I also asked two strip club managers I know. I don’t want to say which club they work for due to privacy, but they manage major clubs in the city.
I was told by both that there has been a slowdown, and what they told me was similar to what the strippers said. The busy days are still good, but the days between are slower for sure.
I asked if they were considering changing prices or anything to attract business, and they both said yes.
Most interestingly, they said they would make deals on bottles, packages, or tables if the club was slow, something they usually didn’t do in the past.
This is something I noticed a few weeks ago when I asked a waitress about buying a bottle. She quoted me $300, but after a few moments and noticing I wasn’t interested, she said I could “make an offer” and the manager would likely approve it.
So I threw out $125, and a few minutes later she returned with a bottle and only charged me the $125 plus tip.
So if you’re visiting a club in Vegas and you notice it’s a little slow, don’t be afraid to ask for deals. This likely applies to private dances as well. Many clubs are well-known for having “flexible” pricing when it comes to VIP dances.
Spots like Crazy Horse are famous for this, as the girls will quote some crazy price like $100 per dance, but then settle for $25 after some quick haggling.
Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to haggle a little. It only takes a minute, and you might get a good deal.
What about the Escort scene in Vegas?
There are all types of escorts in Vegas, so it’s hard to get a definitive answer about how they’re doing. However, a few casino girls I know have reliably told me that business is slower for them.
I even know two casino girls who have left Vegas in the past month and have returned to California, where they said they can find more consistent and regular clients.
This makes sense because escorts in Vegas play a type of “numbers game”. This is especially true for casino escorts. They sit and wait for customers, so it’s completely random. This means the smaller the crowds, the less likely they’ll randomly score a paying client.
Escorts will also almost never admit they will accept less money, but they all generally do if business is slow.
So, should you haggle with an escort like you can do at a strip club?
Some guys do, but I would caution that haggling with an escort is much different than haggling with a stripper. Strippers usually don’t get “offended” by haggling, as long as you do it correctly. They know they’re in the business of “teasing”, so it’s just a part of the sales pitch.
An escort feels she is giving up something of value in return for what you pay her, not just a tease. So if you haggle, they can take that very personally and feel you’re insulting their looks.
The problem comes in if they accept the lower offer but don’t really want to. This can make them provide really bad service once you get back to the room. She can also decide to upsell you once you get there, which we explain here in an article about Vegas escort and hooker scams.
Overall, some very light haggling with casino escorts is usually fine. However, haggling with girls from escort review sites generally gives bad results.
As for street walkers around town, they’re used to haggling, so it’s really business as usual there.
Overall, Things Aren’t That Much Different in Vegas
Despite the news reports, the Vegas scene hasn’t changed that drastically in the last few months, at least as far as strip clubs and escorts go.
If anything, you have a better chance of finding a decent deal, which is always a bonus when visiting Vegas.
If you’re planning a trip to Vegas and want to hit some strip clubs, make sure to check out my Ultimate Vegas Strip Club Guide. It covers every club and lists the VIP rules and how much contact is allowed. It’s the only guide of its kind and can help you find the perfect strip club to make your trip the best one yet!
