Las Vegas Strip Club Etiquette: Your Study Guide for When Sin City Is Open Again

Let's get right to the point, Las Vegas strip clubs aren't cheap. Just getting in the door costs money at the flashier clubs. For instance, there's a $20 daytime cover at Spearmint Rhino Las Vegas -- and the price jumps up to $50 per person after five o' clock. Deja Vu Showgirls Las Vegas charges $45. And once you're inside the club, you need to account for high prices of drinks, food, lap dances, and tips (more on tips below). Lap dance costs differ from club to club, and even from dancer to dancer and time of day. Expect to pay at least $20 for the duration of a single song, plus another $20 for a tip and maybe a drink for the dancer.


The more money you spend at a Las Vegas strip club, the better treatment you'll get. Clubs offer everything from limo service to bottle service (with a private server who prepares cocktails to order at your table from a bottle you pre-purchase) to VIP karaoke rooms. Of course, Las Vegas strip clubs that cater to locals, and not tourists, tend to have cheaper drinks and don't charge covers. Slower weekday nights often run drink and food specials. But the experience won't be the glitz and glam scene you might be expecting. If you want to go big at a big name Las Vegas strip club on a Saturday night, plan to spend at least a few hundred dollars per person.


For male strip clubs, like Kings of Hustler, patrons can buy tickets in advance for a better deal than showing up at the door. There are also packages for transportation, Champagne, and cocktails.

Most Las Vegas strip clubs have a dress code of some sort -- especially for male patrons. A good rule of thumb is to dress up -- especially if you need to get past a bouncer. Men should avoid shorts, jerseys, open-toed shoes or dirty sneakers, hats, and baggy jeans. But not every club has a strip dress code. At Sapphire Gentlemen's Club Las Vegas the only banned clothing is sweatpants.


If you're not sure what to wear, you can't go wrong with dark fitted jeans, a button-down shirt, oxford shoes, and maybe a sports coat if the strip club is high end or has a long admission line. (If the club is packed, the bouncer decides who gets in -- and they favor people who look like they have cash to burn). Dress code rules do slightly relax for VIP patrons or those who reserve a table or private room. See above about being treated better by spending more money.


Women can wear almost anything, with the exception of flip-flops or visibly stained and worn clothing. Anything you'd wear to a sexy dinner date (or even a swinger's club) is likely to get a woman past the bouncer.

Do Las Vegas strip club dancers want patrons to buy them a drink? To find out, we went straight to the source and asked Lauren Phillips, a dancer who has performed at Deja Vu Showgirls Las Vegas. Her take? "I’m not a big drinker, but the thought is appreciated because patrons are spending money."

Bouncers are on the serious look out for overly intoxicated people trying to enter Las Vegas strip clubs. Why? Drunk people can be obnoxious and may be rude or difficult to deal with. Plus, strip clubs want you to spend money at the bar -- and if you've already had too much to drink, they can't serve you.

If you're at a Las Vegas strip club, you need to tip the dancers. Yes, that includes patrons who sit in the back and are too shy to come to the stage. Some performers (those with name recognition and big fan bases) do get paid by the club for an appearance. According to Phillips, her rates include the number of songs or minutes she dances. But full-time dancers are shaking it just for tips, so be generous. You can place cash on the stage, or the dancer might indicate she wants tips tucked in her lingerie -- try to read her physical cues and always ask before touching a dancer.


Another way to tip? Make it rain. Phillips says, "My favorite way to get tips is the 'making it rain' way. When patrons throw a bunch of money at me, this always makes me feel good!"

This is the most important piece of Las Vegas strip club etiquette: you are never entitled to touch a dancer. Regardless of how much money you spent or whether you're receiving a personal lap dance, the dancer decides if and when she wants to be touched. Of course, there are areas of the body that are always off limits. Go over the line, and you might find yourself walked out by security. Phillips agrees. She says, "My best advice is to always ask a dancer if it's ok to touch and in what area."

Obviously, you need to tip dancers and performers inside a Las Vegas strip club. But don't forget the rest of the crew. Phillips advises, "I recommend patrons tip the dancers, waitresses, and bartenders. I also recommend tipping the cleaners that clean the stage and the pole, which could be waitresses and/or bartenders."

Don't ask a dancer if you can pay for sex. It's against the law.

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas reigns supreme, thanks to its fun party atmosphere and sleek rooms. Its five-acre pool area is a draw, as are two live-music venues, multiple restaurants that include a steakhouse and Nobu, a large casino (complete with go-go dancers), and a 14,000-square-foot nightclub. There's even an on-site tattoo parlor. 


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