One Las Vegas strip club is seeing an unexpected boom from the Sin City slowdown: a surge in first-time dancers auditioning.
Crazy Horse 3, located a few blocks away from the Las Vegas Strip and right by Allegiant Stadium, where the Raiders play, said that as of December, it had seen a 55% increase in nightly adult entertainer auditions compared to six months prior. There’s also been an increase in women coming from traditional hospitality roles who are trying out dancing for the first time.
The surge comes as Las Vegas experiences a slump in tourism that’s been attributed to a host of reasons, including a rocky economy, rising travel costs, and a decline in international visitors, especially from Canada. As of November, visits to Las Vegas in 2025 were down 7.4% compared to 2024, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Louis Aceves, general acting manager of the club, told Business Insider he’s been doing this for almost 12 years and that the situation is different than anything he’s seen before.
“People are looking for other streams of income,” he said, adding that the club has seen steady demand despite the tourism drop, in part thanks to strong local business.
The club does open auditions seven days a week, and previously on slower nights, he might see two to four, while now it’s more like six to eight auditions a night. When a big event is coming, like the Consumer Electronics Show this month, it can be as many as 10 to 12 auditions in a couple of hours.
Aceves said the new people auditioning include some who have been laid off from jobs at hotels or casinos, while others have had their hours cut and want to make more money but need a flexible schedule.
Several casinos, including Fontainebleau and Resorts World, laid off workers last year. The Las Vegas metro area lost 4,700 jobs between September and November, according to a report from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation. Leisure and hospitality were the sectors that experienced the biggest job losses over that time.
Gina, who asked to be identified only by her dancer name, said she was laid off in the summer of 2025 from her job as a VIP host at a high-end Vegas hotel after seven years. While going through her savings while trying to find another job, she decided to audition at Crazy Horse.
“I was definitely nervous, but it was like, ‘Okay, well what am I going to do?'” she said, adding she never thought adult entertainment was something she would do. “You have to figure it out.”
Gina said her skills from her previous job actually translated well, like her ability to connect and take care of high-profile clientele. She also said the work pays more than her previous job, and that there have been several times that she’s made more money in a week than she used to make in a month.
Because the dancers are not employees but independent contractors who have more control over their schedules, she said she has more time and flexibility to pursue other things, like learning about digital marketing or becoming a yoga instructor.
After getting over the initial nerves, Gina said she’s found the transition empowering. “This has taught me how to adapt even more and how to be resilient,” she said.
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