By Shannon Stevens + Illustration by Robert Ullman
Patronage has a long-standing tradition in the arts. Da Vinci had patrons. Warhol became a patron to many. And in Vegas, an attractive woman skilled in the arts of networking and partying can score as many patrons as she can handle.
It’s no secret that hot chicks in Vegas can enjoy a lifestyle that includes VIP tables and bottle service at the top clubs, diamonds, watches, designer clothes and purses and shoes, high-end hotel suites around the country, spa treatments—or whatever other material goods they desire—so long as there are rich men willing to play along. It’s an age-old set-up as delightful to some as it is distasteful to others.
However, here’s the twist: No sex is involved.
In fact, the mantra of professional patronage-seeker Jaimie, a Las Vegan who preferred to keep her real name off the record, surprisingly, is this: “To get the money, you can’t give the honey.”
Jaimie says that to keep the gifts flowing, in fact, there can never be any sex. She learned that lesson the hard way when she was new.
“Years ago I really liked this guy, and he took me shopping and to dinner and all these things, and I fell for it. I slept with him,” she says. “I never heard from him again.”
Now, she knows her rules and sticks with them; that’s where having a mantra comes in handy. It’s also handy that Jaimie has practiced her art enough to be able to share her world with the Weekly.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Get a teacher.
Find a mentor who can show you the ropes and invite you along to group gatherings until you get your sea legs. Remember that the point for the men is to have multiple women on their arms, not just one, so there are plenty of opportunities for learning—and as second or third billing you still get plenty of free booze and a few other prized goodies. Once you feel comfortable as a sidekick, it’s time to move to top billing and start hunting for patrons of your own.
Step 2: Hunt.
A typical night on the hunt, as she describes it, starts at a high-end club on the Strip. By this time you’d better know the managers at the clubs, or you won’t have the access you need to brush elbows with those in the VIP areas. Once you’ve managed to get yourself invited to join a table, chat up the men and watch for clues about their financial clout.
Some women scope out watches, and others size up shirts or shoes. Jaimie prefers to assess the whole package and to use conversation to learn more. For example, has he already arranged table service for the next three nights? If so, that’s a good sign, as it’s a minimum of $1,000 to $1,500 a night to get a table with bottle service. If not, he could have saved his money for a year to blow it all in one night, and you might want to move on.
Another test—offer to buy the man a drink. “The really rich ones will be offended,” Jaimie says.
After a round or two, encourage the potential patron to move on to the blackjack tables. When you get to the green baize, he should set you up, and this is the start of it all. You keep any winnings, and you sure don’t pay back any losses. Always be on the lookout for opportunities for acquisition. If he suggests dinner at a fine restaurant, tell him you haven’t a thing to wear (his opportunity to buy you a new dress and heels); if he wants to hit the swimming pools, tell him you don’t have a suit (he should buy you at least one, a wrap and appropriate poolside footwear).
Now remember: “To get the money, you can’t give the honey.” Don’t get carried away by all the flirtation and gift-giving and lose sight of your role as pro conversationalist.
At this point in the process, you can call it a win and stop there. One technique often employed by Jaimie in her early days in the game was to decide at the start of the night what she wanted and find an appropriate mark to get it. (For example: Looking for a plane ticket to New York? Listen for a New York accent. Want a bikini? Steer the conversation toward the pools.)
“At the beginning it was about the immediate satisfaction—about the kill,” she says. “We play a game. It’s about the kill.”
Step 3: Work the regulars.
If you want to find a more stable/regular patron, the game must go on with the same players. After the immediate-gratification gifts, it’s time to expect regular invitations to top-notch hotel suites in vacation-destination cities around the country. And not just for you—for you and at least a dozen of your closest girlfriends. Weekends out of town should include spa treatments, fine dining, clubbing and so on.
Be sure to demand your favorite champagne be iced and waiting for you upon your arrival—and it better be something crazy expensive. No Cold Duck (even if you secretly like it). In this world, being high-maintenance is a powerful chip, not a slam on your character. By this point, little niceties such as earrings, rings, gym memberships and gift cards to expensive retailers should start coming your way on a regular basis.
You haven’t forgotten the mantra, have you? “To get the money, you can’t give the honey.” So keep those legs crossed, ladies. Also keep in mind that the average lifespan of a patronage like this one is three months—six months at the very outside. So don’t focus all your efforts on just one. You’re not dating here. This is business. So keep those patrons lining up.
To keep a growing Rolodex of contacts and potential patrons (both short-term for a night here and there and long-term), it’s a good idea to go out at least twice a week. Wondering what kind of people will be filling your PDA? According to Jaimie, the men range in age from 20-something (the upstart entrepreneurs generally) to 40-something (more established businessmen). Some are married, some are not. They come to Vegas to get a taste of the Vegas life—to get an ego boost from looking like they have scored big, even if in reality all they’ve done is blow a wad of cash, not their actual wad.
“They may play it to their friends that they got something (sex); some of these guys will have a contest to see who can get the hottest girl,” says Jaimie. “It feeds their ego. It’s more of a perception thing, more of an ego thing than the actual sex.”
Step 4: Party.
No small part of their interest in playing the game is the Vegas mystique. While they are here, they expect to lose a lot of money, and they want to “live that life of sin,” according to Jaimie. Sometimes they need a little help getting there. The women not only provide them with arm candy (and a different way to lose their money than at the slots or on a $5,000-a-night prostitute), but they also often provide connections for local sources of partying as well as access to the right people at the clubs to get the best tables.
Clearly, this is not a good “career” option for women who are squeamish about the party life. However, it’s not necessary to be a complete party animal so long as the men think you are.
“It becomes a game of cat and mouse—how smart you are makes a difference,” says Jaimie. “How much you act like you’re using versus how much you are actually using; how much you pretend you’re drinking versus how much you actually are drinking.”
And apparently, how smart and successful the women are—or pretend to be—plays a part in their ability to maintain regular patronage.
“Strippers and cocktail waitresses won’t get as far,” says Jaimie, who won’t let us print her other profession. “You want to appear as successful and independent as possible.”
Step 5: Know when to get out.
As successful as Jaimie has been at playing the game since she got to Vegas more than five years ago, her aspirations lie elsewhere. She hopes to be able to apply the skills she’s learned playing her patronage game to a career in event planning. That is, if she does move away from the city soon, as she plans. Though Jaimie points out that “as long as you look good and you maintain you can do it as long as you want,” she says she doesn’t see herself doing it a whole lot longer and will stop if she finds someone she likes.
“I need to get out [of Vegas]. This isn’t life. Vegas is not healthy. Once you’ve done this stuff, you’re surrounded by it, even if you stop going out,” she says, referring to the constant text messages she gets inviting her to dinner parties and all-night gambling affairs. “I need to start my life. I don’t think this is the place to start a life. This doesn’t happen in real life.”
Here’s to you, Jaimie. Thanks for the tips on living Las Vegas to the fullest. And best of luck leaving Las Vegas.
Shannon Stevens is a local freelance writer.