Brothels to Nevada: Tax Us, Please

It keeps other businesses from moving there, he says

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid is taking on a venerable institution in his state: legalized prostitution. Calling for "an adult conversation" on the issue, Reid told lawmakers today that he believed the practice, legal only in rural counties, deters businesses from moving to the state, reports the Las Vegas Sun . “Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment—not as the last place where prostitution is still legal,” he said in a speech to the legislature. More»

'Markus' saw total of 10 clients, Shady Lady Ranch madam says

(NEWSER) - The country's first legal male prostitute has left the gigolo business, and the Shady Lady Ranch is temporarily turning away female customers. They weren't a large segment of the customer base anyway: The Nevada brothel owner says "Markus," who started work in January—and compared himself to Rosa Parks —didn't even service 10 customers. Total. He's back in California making adult films; the split, the owner says, " was a mutual decision. " More»

'Markus' is more like a 'bad second date'

(NEWSER) - Save your money, women of America. The nation's first legal male prostitute just isn't worth it, writes New York Post dating columnist Mandy Stadtmiller. She flew to Vegas undercover for an encounter with "Markus" and left underwhelmed. Important caveat: She didn't have sex with the "dorky college dropout," settling instead for a long talk (in which he boasts of his ability to "pronunciate" words and compares himself to the composer "Choppin") and a massage. "It was like a bad second date. That cost $500." More»

Brothel lobbyist predicts 'Pearl Harbor' for industry

(NEWSER) - Gay marriage may have taken a few steps backwards this year, but male hookers just won the right to work in Nevada brothels, and they can choose to accept male or female clients, just as female prostitutes can. Men can now be employed as well as women, thanks to a change in laws that previously stipulated "cervical" STD testing for sex workers. And while it doesn't change the legal status of homosexuality itself, it's still stirred opposition. More»

(NEWSER) - The many states hoping gambling will revive their troubled budgets are in for an unpleasant surprise, writes Nate Silver for Esquire. Gambling is supposed to be recession-proof, but that hasn’t been the case this time. "The year 2008 was the first time in history that total casino gaming revenues declined throughout the United States," writes Silver, of FiveThirtyEight.com fame. In Las Vegas, they were down a whopping 12%, and they’ve fallen another 15% this year. More»