Las Vegas NowMany Tourists Think Prostitution is Legal in Las Vegas

Many Tourists Think Prostitution is Legal in Las Vegas

According to a report from the Nevada Coalition against Sex Trafficking, most of the prostitution in Nevada is taking place illegally in Clark County on the streets, in the strip clubs and in the city's hotel-casinos.

Ask just about any tourist on the Strip whether prostitution is legal in Las Vegas and most will tell you they think it is. Prostitution is not legal anywhere in Clark County, but of course that doesn't mean it's not happening.

An executive for one of the largest hotel-casinos in Las Vegas told Eyewitness News why prostitution is such a difficult crime to control and what his property does to crack down on hotel hookers.  

Alan Feldman, spokesman for the MGM-Mirage, said, "I've heard all the stories about how hotels encourage prostitution and look the other way, but nothing could be farther from the truth."

As senior vice president of public affairs, Feldman makes it clear that prostitution is not tolerated at his hotel-casino.

"Through the years, we've cooperated with Metro to do undercover stings here in the hotel. And we have our own staff who are trained to spot people who are here doing things against the law and turn them over to police or just get them off property," he continued.

But at the same time, Feldman admits it can be tough today to distinguish what is legal from what is not.

Alan Feldman continued, "Let's face it, Las Vegas is a city where people come to party and to let their hair down. So trying to discern whether that's adults consenting to do what adults are allowed to do versus a business transaction that's against the law can sometimes be very gray."

Former prostitute Kathleen Mitchell, who speaks out against prostitution today, says most of the casinos are quick to toss out any working girl who doesn't keep a low-profile but that doesn't always keep them away.

"There are women in and out of the casinos," Mitchell said. "If the girl is slick enough or quiet enough, they may turn a blind eye and let her be as long as she doesn't rob anyone or until she becomes noticeable, then they'll throw her out."

Hotel surveillance and security are two resources that Feldman says give the hotels a slight advantage. However, eliminating prostitution at the hotels, Feldman admits, is simply an unrealistic notion.

MGM-Mirage's Senior V.P. of Public Affairs Alan Feldman said, "No, I don't think we can control it and I don't know of any city in America that has been able to control this."

As for the claim that Las Vegas is the world's epicenter for prostitution, Alan Feldman says he's never seen any proof that the problem is any worse here than any other major city in the world that is a tourist and convention destination.