How the Cabbies’ Shakedown of the Strip Clubs Can Put $$$ in Your Pocket
For many years, Las Vegas cab and limo drivers (and now Über and Lyft drivers too) have been getting a kickback called a “spiff” from most strip clubs for the customers they deliver to their doors. The spiffs have ranged from $25 to $125 per customer delivered.
You read that right. If you take a cab, limo, Über or Lyft to a strip club with two of your buddies, the cabby is getting a bribe of between $75 and $375 when he drops the three of you off at the door. And if a club refuses to pay it? The cabbies stop bringing customers to the club, and the club goes under.
Cabbies have gotten bribes of as much as $180 dollars a head to deliver customers to Vegas massage parlor clip joints (places where they insinuate that the customer will get sex for a higher fee, but don’t deliver; when the customer complains, security boots him). Moral of the story: Don’t trust cabbies’ recommendations.
For decades, the standard strip club spiff had been in the $20-$25 range and the strip clubs and cabbies were thriving. But in 2008, as the economy worsened and the number of visitors to Las Vegas declined, the going rate went up. Within a few years, the head rate had gone from $30 to $50, then $80, and finally $100-plus as the struggling clubs tried to capture a bigger share of a shrinking market.
Essentially, the strip clubs got into a price war with each other and the cabbies milked it for all it was worth.
Some excellent strip clubs went bankrupt a couple years ago as a direct result of paying the exorbitant spiffs (a blow to their customers). After that, the spiff went back down to the $25-$30 level and stayed there for a while, but as I write this (updated in March 2017), the spiff is back up again to the $100 per head level. These kickbacks to cabbies are the main reason why Vegas strip clubs cost so much for out-of-towners. The clubs have to get their money back somehow or go out of business, so you’re the one who pays.
The Good News: Free Strip Club Limos for You
The good news is that the Vegas taxi wars have created a beneficial situation not only for the cabbies but for Las Vegas visitors who want to hit the strip clubs. To avoid paying the bribe, many of the major clubs now offer free transportation, as well as free entry, to customers who take advantage of their free limo/shuttle service. The cab fare you’ll save by letting the strip club limos transport you will be up to $20 each way from most casinos.
Not all of the clubs that offer limo/shuttle service are free, and not all of the clubs that provide free transport provide return transport to your hotel. But many do. (Get details here.)
And since the “standard” entry fee to the major clubs is now $45-$55 for non-Nevada residents, the total cost of transportation and entry to a major Las Vegas strip club—if you arrive by cab—is $45-$55 + (20 + 20) = $85 to 95. That’s the visitor’s cost before he’s even purchased a drink.
All of the topless clubs also have a two-drink minimum, and many visitors are less than thrilled to discover domestic beers priced as high as $12-$18 in some of the most popular clubs. If you take a cab to a strip club in Vegas, you’ll spend $100 before you’ve even had a lap dance.
The clubs that are offering free transportation service have come to the conclusion that it’s more profitable to provide transportation and have customers arriving with $85-$95 more in their pockets than to pay cabbies exorbitant head fees and have customers pissed off at what looks like price-gouging.
My advice is simple: Don’t take a cab to a strip club. Let the clubs shuttle you in and waive your admission charge, giving you $85-$95 more to enjoy the pleasures of the establishment. The cabbies’ loss is your gain. If you’re part of a large group that needs shuttle service, they’ll take the whole lot of you with the same deal—free transportation and free entry for all.
Even if you have your own wheels, this is a good deal. You can get drunk and you’ve got a prearranged ride home at clubs that offer this service, like Palomino Club (club review / club website) and Treasures (club review / club website). Party your ass off and leave the driving to them.
If you’re still thinking of visiting the strip clubs in a cab, be aware that some cab drivers divert customers from clubs that won’t pay the higher spiffs to those that will. Cabbies have been recorded on video discouraging fares who asked to be taken to a club that didn’t pay the high drop-off fees by saying that the club was dirty, or had dancers who were old hags, or was a gay hangout. So don’t expect to get honest information about the “best” clubs from a cabbie. Here’s a quote from a comment right here on TVO, from a customer who wanted to go to a club that doesn’t pay spiffs:
I was prepared for my taxi to push for me to go somewhere that would give him a kick back, but he took another angle that I wasn’t prepared for. He immediately said the place didn’t exist, and he only reluctantly started driving me to the address I gave him…I had to give him turn by turn instructions too.
At each turn, he acted like I was making a mistake. Then we drove up to the club to see an empty parking lot. I looked into the door and saw an adult video store. He just about had me convinced that I was wrong, until I saw a girl walking out and asked her…
The Vegas taxi wars battlefield is littered with strip club casualties—Velvet Lion, Seamless, Badda Bing, Rick’s Cabaret, Crazy Horse Too, Striptease—all high-end clubs that had top-of-the-line dancers, but couldn’t afford the high spiffs at the height of the taxi wars. When a club loses its tourist drop-offs, it also quickly loses its high-end dancers (who leave to go where the tourist crowds are—which is to say, to the clubs that are paying for the drop-offs). And when the high-end dancers disappear, the club loses a lot of its local following, because the locals—who know nothing about drop-off fees and couldn’t care less—follow the girls.
Shouldn’t There Be a Law?
As a matter of fact, the Nevada Taxicab Authority, a state regulatory agency, has rules against cab drivers diverting customers and accepting tips from third parties for delivering customers to their destinations. But according to sources both in the clubs and in the cabs, the rule isn’t enforced.
Some sources estimate that Las Vegas cabbies were collecting more than $40 million per year in spiffs from strip clubs in peak years, an amount substantial enough to draw the attention of the IRS. To deal with the specter of the taxman getting involved, and despite the violation of Taxicab Authority regulations, one club had allegedly put the cabbies, informally, “on the payroll” by issuing vouchers for each drop-off, which the cabbies could then cash in on a weekly basis.
This club could then issue 1099s to the drivers, keeping the club straight with the IRS by getting these payoffs out from under the table. According to an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, IRS agents met with some 40 club execs and informed them that all clubs would begin issuing 1099s to cabbies or face criminal prosecution.
The “Trapp” Lawsuit
On June 2, 2009, Theodore Trapp, a Californian who allegedly became angry at having been diverted by a Las Vegas cab driver from the strip club he requested (Play It Again Sam) to a different club (Spearmint Rhino), filed a class-action lawsuit naming 14 Las Vegas strip clubs and a dozen or so cab and limousine companies as defendants, plus one cab driver who acknowledged participation in the taxi drop-off payouts. He was suing to stop the practice of clubs “tipping” cab and limo drivers for delivering customers.
The Trapp lawsuit went so far as to accuse both the clubs and the cab companies of violating Nevada’s RICO statutes, alleging the practice of kickbacks to drivers by the clubs to be some sort of price-fixing scheme that qualifies as racketeering by “criminal syndicates.”
The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed by a federal judge who said he saw no evidence of a conspiracy by the strip clubs, pointing out that no laws disallowed clubs from tipping cabbies. Regarding the cabbies diverting customers for higher drop-off fees, he wrote in his decision: “That some taxi drivers engage in unlawful conduct to obtain a lawful payment from an adult nightclub does not cause the adult nightclub’s payment to be unlawful.”
Why I Hate the Taxi Wars
Not only were some of my favorite strip clubs put out of business during the height of the taxi wars, but beer prices went up all over, as all the clubs were feeling the cost of the battle. For example, the price of a beer at OG (now moved and called Sophia’s) went up from $7 to $18 and at Treasures from $7.50 to $12. Those steeper drink prices also hurt the dancers, as every strip club customer has only so much money to spend in the club.
Ultimately, a sizeable chunk of the money the cabbies are making comes out of our pockets. We get hit with the bill. You think I like paying $15 for a Bud at Sapphire? I hold nothing against the cabbies for taking advantage of the strip clubs’ cut-throat competition tactics. But when the cabbies’ booty is coming out of my pockets, I’m going to do everything I can to keep their hands off my money.
What You Can Do
Out-of-towners can do quite a bit to cut their Vegas strip club costs by taking advantage of the participating clubs’ free transportation service. And who knows … if enough customers quit taking taxis, we might even see some of the ridiculous drink prices come down. It’s all you guys taking cabs that have created this situation. I’m begging you guys: Don’t take a cab to a strip club. Call for a free ride and probably free entry and possibly other enticements and save yourself a bundle by joining my “Screw the Cabbies” revolt.
Here’s a list of some of the deals I found for strip club limo service.
I recently took a uber to Sapphire & Palomino…no extra charge was experienced. Maybe the word hasn’t gotten around to all of them?
Shawn, you got lucky. The Uber driver didn’t check in and collect his tip from the club.
Frank, both Palomino and Sapphire have an unmarked-car option for free pick-up. Many other clubs will too. Just ask for an unmarked car when you call to reserve your ride.
Only reason I’ve taken a cab is for privacy. If I’m in Vegas for a convenition, I don’t want colleagues seeing me get into a Club Limo. Do you know of any Limos that don’t have the club name all over it?
Arnold: Have you seen the latest prices for your Topless Vegas book, USED on amazon? And it’s all free here, and up to date!
Tred, yes, and half of the clubs in the book have shut down.
Agreed 100%. Actually it’s a bit worse, as you’ll owe the cab fee AND cover, with no local discount.
However, you could assume the cabbie to get 1/2 the cover, at least. And if you didn’t want to wait for the club limo, or you were going to the Palamino and didn’t want to pay the “solo package”, which is $65 (Remember, I don’t drink), that might be a better option.
And we all know how to ride to the Palamino with a cab. (The Jerry’s Nugget trick)
Tred, yes. Take a cab to Jerry’s Nugget. If you get to Palomino by 8 pm, there’s no cover. A batch of dancers arrive at 7:30, and by the time you’ve seen that a larger crowd of dancers and customers arrive around 8:30 p.m.
Bish, I have heard from two fellow SC customers that when going to a club in a cab that kicks money back to the cabbie, they ask for 1/2 the kickback or they will wait for the free limo.
Any comment? Anyone else hear?
Tred, yes, I have friends who do that. But you’ll still owe the cab fare. Also, different clubs pay the cabbies different amounts and you won’t know the amounts.
Floyd Mayweather pays the cabbies nothing. For other clubs, the payment ranges from roughly $30 to $100 a head.
If the cabby pays you half what he gets, or half what he says he gets, it may not cover your admission fee, whereas if you take the free club limo, you’ll get not only the free ride but free or reduced admission. At every club I know, at this time, it’s a better deal to take the free club limo.
I almost never needed to get a ride in Vegas because I meet a Limo driver who I called everything I needed to go anywhere. I made sure to let him know about when we where leaving a club. It takes time to get out so he would almost always be waiting. I found out he was one of the owners who was driving the first night because the driver could not make it. It worked out great for 3 year as he always made sure I looked good to my clients and friends. I know he was always giving me to great deal. When the limo seat some 23 one night he still just charged me the same as a cab would have cost. I finally asked why he would not take more from me even after I won big at the tables. When he told me he was always will to make sure my group would be picked up only getting money to cover gas and tip money so he was able to park in front. I did not know the only time he was able to pull up to the hotels is to drop some one off or to pick someone up. I would give him just enough time to pull up and hand out business card if anyone asked. I have not been in Las Vegas for about 5 years as I invested in party buses soon after. If you ever go anywhere more then a couple times a year it only a good to remember the driver who you liked because there is a huge difference from a cab driver, limo driver, chauffeur and a private personal driver. You never know when you meet a driver you like then try to get a hold of them the next time your in town. If a driver need to make money dropping customers off at a club then he is not that good as a driver who follows their customers in as any driver can tell the club he wavesaid the fee if they can take care of his customers.
I just removed a comment from a limo driver who posted a lie about the clubs’ free limo service to encourage people to call for for non-club limos.
Most Vegas strip clubs offer free limo service, with free admission for those who use it. If you take a cab or any limo other than the club’s free limo, you will pay the full admission fee and often an additional cover charge for two drinks.
Taking a free strip club limo will save you $30 to $50, depending on the club, and that’s because it saves the club the high bribe ($75 a head, last time I checked) clubs must pay cabbies and drivers from other limo services.
CalvinHall: Some will. Both Sapphire and Palomino have solo packages available that include transportation, cover, and drinks. The packages are a good deal if you’re by yourself and especially if you don’t have your own car. They’re described on the club pages.
Will the strip clubs roll out the limo to a strip hotel if you are in Vegas alone? In other words, will they come out for one guy?
Happy New Year Arnold! Thanks for educating us on the unique economics in Las Vegas.
Has anyone here taken Uber to an LV strip club? Is it the same situation as with a taxi? Do you still have to pay to get in the club if you take Uber?
Arriving via Uber is the same as arriving via cab (apparently word has gotten around already about spiffs). You will pay the entry fee. Best to take the house limo.
A few years back, when we didn’t want to end up waiting for the limo and it was a spur of the moment to go to a club… basically told the taxi driver to take us to a particular strip club and to comp us the fair. and every time there was no hesitation. still had to pay the entrance fee, but saved a little on the fair.
But I was wondering, now that we plan on getting a car this trip and drive ourselves to the clubs… will the clubs waive the entrance fee since there’s no taxi to payoff??
In most clubs if you tell the cashier and/or door man you drove yourself and did not take a cab, you will get free passage, just like the locals
No Complaint: But wondering if you might be able to help me- I’m coming in from Denver for the super bowl next week and trying to find a cab driver who was super cool last time I was there! He picked me up at Cheetah lounge and I think his name was Country Billy or Bob?? I had his card but lost it. If this rings a bell to anyone please leave me his Telephone# – Thanks,Scot
Just curious, did you find your cabbie? Were you rooting for Pats or Seahawks?
Good lord. When I drove a cab in the late 80’s the only strip club that paid cabbies was the Palomino and the price was $2 per head . There was a clip shop named Pluto’s at Industrial and Sahara that paid $25 but most drivers would actually discourage guys from going there if they were asked for their opinion. Pluto’s was advertised as a swingers hot tub lounge with private rooms for willing ladies. All the hot looking ladies in the tubs worked there and tried to get the guys to buy a $200 bottle of champagne for a cut of the price. Some guys would buy 2 or 3 bottles without knowing the price. If they didn’t pay, the cops would arrest them. When I was trained I was told to never recommend Pluto’s to anyone, but if someone got in and said “take me to Pluto’s”, the law prohibited diverting them. I talked a lot of guys out of going there, but the one guy who said “take me to Pluto’s” went to Pluto’s.
Most of the guys I worked with were decent enough to return lost purses full of cash, even to people who tipped 10 cents with a trunk full of luggage. Longhauling was a minor problem at that time. The usual offense was using I-15 to downtown from the airport or the south strip. It added $2 to $4 to the fare but it did save time. I struggled with that for 4 years and rarely did it. I remember one ride from Fremont Street to Ceasar’s. They told me to follow that Nellis cab in front of us with their friends to Ceasar’s. He turned towards the freeway and I told them I knew a shorter way and they said go for it. I used Industrial road and pulled into Ceasar’s right behind their friends. My fare was $8.90 and his was $12.10. I got ten bucks and the Nellis driver got $15. That’s how guys get cynical but I used Industrial for all 4 years.
Chris,
I just loved reading your post 🙂
Why forget the limos that take most of the strip goers by the doorman diverting from the taxis and share the spiff bet. Limo Driver and the doorman.
Zera, there are limos that go for spiffs, just like taxis, but there are also free limos provided by the strip clubs themselves. These are the limos you want to take to a Vegas strip club to avoid paying a cover charge.