Franklin Veaux, co-author of More Than Two: A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory:
As the name suggests, they’re clubs where people go to have sex, watch people having sex, or be watched having sex.
There are a lot of different varieties: swing clubs, where people go to have sex with each other or be watched; BDSM clubs, where people go to engage in kink activities (they often have specialized equipment and toys that most folks either can’t afford or don’t have room for); performance clubs, where people go to watch others have sex on stage; and so on.
Sex clubs may be private invitation-only things or public places. Some sex clubs host events, workshops, or conferences.
…and how legit or legal are they, in the USA
Generally speaking, unless they’re actually charging money for sex, they’re totally legal. You pay for access to the club, not for sex. Going to a sex club does not mean you necessarily get to have sex; they’re not free-for-all “anyone can shag everyone here” things. You still need consent from anyone you want to have sex with.
Tony Schwartz, Work with gifted/empathic women since 2001:
I do not know what a “SEX CLUB” is. There are BDSM Clubs, Dungeons and parties as well as private parties. Most BDSM clubs because of health code laws in the USA might not allow penetration. You can go tie up, way, pierce, ‘torture’ humiliate, whip, bruise, embarrass, grope, slap, dog chain or collar your submissive. You can do many things to them. You just can not insert things into their vagina/anus or cum/masturbate.
There are thousands of kinky / nasty things you do to a naked person in front of a group or off in a corner just NO SEX or penetration.
Some clubs do allow sex. It is legal because paying consenting adults whose legal age is verified go into the building. They are not paying for sex. I have went to clubs to be social or to just watch. The fee is a membership/admission fee. It has nothing to do with sex. The clubs cost a lot of money to run. The people who run them are RARELY rich. They have rent, security, utility bills and more. They seek to provide a safe environment for consenting adults who are not insecure about sexuality to have a space to play. That is “HOW/WHY” it is legal. You can say it is a loophole, you might be right. But I know many people who rent these types of spaces. They ABSOLUTELY are not doing it for the money. We do movie nights, game nights and other things. We are genuinely pretty typical people. We are just more open about sex. So we meet up and these places and pay a $10 admission fee to help the owner with bills/expenses.
Now private parties are totally different. It is in a home or private residence. Speaking of the USA. The parties are in the owned property of someone with constitutional rights. They are not selling sex, people who go might have sex and lots of it – nasty sex too. But prostitution is buying sexual acts. Again the person whose private property you are on might charge a fee.
If you scream LOOPHOLE! Often times men take their girlfriends out, on vacation or give them money and want/’require’ sex in return. We just really do not consider this prostitution. I do not pay to have sex at one of the events I mentioned. The money I pay does not go to the person I might have sex with.
Laws vary state by state. Though that is “generally” ‘how’ it is legal. IF you think it should be illegal that is fine. But that was not the question.
Clarissa Martinez, One who suffers for multiple years of addiction:
I belong to a sex club that is members only. It is a swingers club. I visited it almost every weekend when my vehicle was in working order. Due to lack of transportation I have been forced to only attend swinger parties or throw a party myself in my home. I do not wish to do so being a single female. It is safer in a club setting.
The club I belong to is very tasteful and clean. The patrons are regulars. We tend to even hang out after hours or on days the club is not open
Steve Dalton, lives in Orange County, CA (2009-present):
I know of a sex club that exists in Berlin (Germany), but I didn’t go because one of their events was held the evening I arrived and I suffered too much jet lag for that, plus I didn’t know my way around. Besides, dressing up fully clothed was forbidden and I was not keen on showing up in public in my undies. It was my understanding that if you find a willing partner, you could have sex with that person on the spot. And yes it is legal there.