This is PRECISELY the conclusion that I myself came to. And you didn't mention yet another factor contributing to our decisions ... the fact that feature entertainers are now earning the majority of their money from 'private sessions' between feature performances, rather than from the feature booking and performances themselves.
Indeed. And that higher 'cost' isn't just in the form of reduced dancer earnings potential in today's clubs. With spreading 'technology', increased gov't / tax information gathering, and increasingly thorough background checks, these days the creation of a 'paper trail' from exotic dancing or camming may 'cost' the girl future earnings potential in the straight job world via her 'adult industry' background reducing future straight job opportunities.
In fairness to club management, it's difficult to pass up 'short term' opportunities to extract additional moneys from dancers and customers today ( with associated negative long term side effects ) in order to 'invest' in improved future club operations when the 'long term' economic viability of the club is no longer a given. Higher 'costs of doing business' for the club, i.e. rising property taxes, rising utility bills, rising insurance costs, show no signs of a trend reversal. 'Employee' dancer lawsuits, potential changes in local laws affecting strip clubs, etc. pose unknown future risk factors. Strip club owners are no different than the owners of any other business regarding a reluctance to 'invest' in an uncertain future ... thus they now tend to 'get what they can, while they can'. Arguably, this is forcing dancers to adopt the same attitude.
And you are absolutely correct in assessing that today's dancers have no 'leverage' with club management ... given that tons of new girls are available. Some clubowners have combined these two facts to 'bleed' more revenues from house fees by increasing the number of dancers allowed to work at the same time. But this in turn divides available customer money in a larger number of smaller portions, leading to increased competition. And that increased competition among dancers leads to 'extras' being offered by some dancers, which in turn leads to increased expectations of 'extras' by club customers, which in turn leads to heavy pressure on ( formerly ) 'clean' dancers to also offer 'extras' or see her income potential decline even faster.
It can't go back to the way it used to be, even if all of the parties involved wanted it to ( which they don't ) . Strip club management has figured out that collecting more house fees from more dancers per shift equals higher club earnings. Some number of new dancers have no problem offering 'extras' as a means of improving their dancing incomes. Strip club customers have figured out that at least SOME dancers in the club will provide them 'extras', and often aren't willing to spend significant money without 'extras' being thrown in. Strip club management has figured out that tolerating 'extras' in the club represents higher earnings for the club via a higher number of resulting private dance / VIP sales, with near zero legal risk to the club itself. With both club management and some number of dancers, as well as many club customers, being perfectly comfortable with 'extras', there is no way that some number of 'clean' dancers is going to prevail against this 'majority' opinion.
I'll agree to partaking in the perks of the rich !!! However, I prefer to do it down here in a 'way south of the border' vacation paradise where the local costs of living are laughably low, where I can legally avoid having to pay tens of thousands of dollars per year to the IRS on my 'gift' income and investment earnings, etc.
RusDancer, if you ever happen to get your 'retired' self down this way, there's a beachfront bar stool waiting with your name on it ... as well as any number of 'well heeled' vacationing guys ready to buy drinks / dinner / take you 'sailing' !!!

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