Vegas Hotel Bares Its Assets, For Real

(MoneyWatch)  Las Vegas is rapidly losing its "recession-proof" luster, but the city is still prudish when it comes to a mixing two of its vices: stripping and gambling. However, one enterprising hotel has hit upon a way to combine the two, without breaking any of the moral and business codes that govern the place.

Caesar's Palace, Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, the Venetian and the Wynn have all opened topless pools. But the Rio -- owned by Harrah's Entertainment -- has upped the ante by forging the first formal partnership between a casino and a strip club to keep its lounge chairs stocked with bare-breasted women.

The idea is to lure gamblers (assumed to be male) to a hotel so they can pay $30 to $50 for a chance to see half-naked women -- and swim, of course. "It brings the sexy angle to the casino business and that is what Vegas is all about right now," John Lee, SVP of the Rio's partner, the Sapphire strip club, told Reuters. "All of the casinos are trying to get gentlemen's club-type entertainment without actually crossing that line."

The stock comes mainly from strip clubs, but it's unclear if the strippers are actually paid to laze around the pool. The Reuters story calls it a "partnership," and the hotel only admits to giving them free food and "incentives." Strippers said they liked the gig because it gives them a chance to market their shows later that night to customers.

Nevada state law doesn't expressly bar casinos from featuring topless dancing, but the state has historically refused them licenses under rules requiring them to operate with public safety, health and morals, said Renee Shaffer, deputy chief of enforcement of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. While strippers giving lap dances to gamblers would be a violation, she said, women sunbathing topless in a fenced-off section of a casino pool is not.

Expect to see more of these partnerships as casinos nakedly compete for tourism dollars.

Image of the Rio via Flickr user Dan4th, CC 2.0