Just because prostitution isn't legal in Las Vegas doesn't mean that it isn't happening. Fliers blatantly advertising sex-for-sale are handed out to pedestrians as they walk along The Strip, and the local phone-book and
classifieds are full of ads for 'hot babes' eager to visit your hotel room.
It's clear that banning prostitution in Las Vegas hasn't stopped it from occurring, it's simply being done under different names – some strippers offer 'extras', masseuses might 'give pleasure', and escorts are available
for 'erotic time'. Is it disingenuous and uncontrolled and unregulated?

There are an estimated 10,000 prostitutes operating illegally in Las Vegas, and the numbers could be even higher including ones who only advertise on-line. If prostitution were to be decriminalized then sex workers in
brothels would be registered and eligible for employee benefits like pensions, health insurance, and paid holidays.

Having spent 10 years studying the sex trade in Nevada, University of Las Vegas some believe legalization is the best solution for everyone. The women who do the work would get protection and the rights given other to workers. Decriminalization could also be in the best interest of public health because legal brothels must adhere to strict guidelines regarding safe sex -condoms must be used and workers have weekly health screenings.

Legalizing prostitution also makes financial sense. Mayor Goodman believes that legal brothels in Vegas could be "an important revenue-raising device for the city". Experts estimate that the city's sex trade could be worth
6 billion annually – think of all those potential tax dollars! George Flint, the chief lobbyist of the Nevada Brothel Association, says legal brothels are currently only a "teeny business in a big state" but have the potential
to be very lucrative.

Of course, not everyone feels legalizing prostitution in Las Vegas as a win-win situation. Some residents are concerned that with legal brothels would come an increase in organized crime, and some businesses worry it
would corrupt the city's budding reputation as a 'family-friendly' destination. Religious groups are opposed to prostitution on moral grounds, and social advocacy groups worry it could lead to an increase of violence
against women and human trafficking from Asia.

"I see it as sexual slavery," says  the director of Nevada's Coalition Against Sex Trafficking. "I think it's morally and ethically wrong for governments to say it's OK to sell humans in that way. The government should not pimp the girls."

Despite his critics, Mayor Goldman still believes his dream of bringing legal brothels to Sin City will some day come true. "If we had a referendum or ballot on legal brothels, it would probably pass. When you speak about it
intellectually, not morally, it makes sense,"