Brothel

A brothel, also known as a bordello, cathouse, whorehouse, sporting house and various other euphemisms, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sexual intercourse with clients. In some places, brothels are legal, and in many countries, places such as massage parlors are allowed to function as brothels, with varying degrees of regulation and repression. Depending on zoning, brothels may be confined to special red-light districts or tolerance zones.

Brothels were very common in the past, but are prohibited today in most European countries. There are however exceptions, for example Netherlands or Germany (see Prostitution in Europe). In most countries from Europe, brothels were made illegal after World War II. During the first half of the 20th century, France and Italy were famous for their brothels. France outlawed all brothels in 1946 and Italy made them illegal in 1959. Today Amsterdam is well known for its red-light district and it is a destination for sex tourism.

Business models

Brothels use a variety of business models:

• In some, prostitutes are held in involuntary servitude without the option to leave, receiving only a small portion (or none) of the money paid by the patron. This is typical where human trafficking procures a large percentage of prostitutes, and is common in (though not limited to) countries where prostitution is forbidden or repressed. In some cases, prostitutes are bought and sold by their keepers, reducing them to a state of chattel slavery. All of these are illegal in most jurisdictions.
• In others the prostitutes are employees, receiving a small fixed salary and a portion of the money spent by the customer. (Maison close French for "closed house") The brothel owner receives the rest of the payment for services.
• In the regulated brothels in Nevada the prostitutes are contract workers who split their earnings with the house, and are often expected to "tip" support staff (cleaners, limo drivers, etc.); they receive no benefits, such as health insurance, and no withholding for Social Security taxes.
• In still others, the prostitutes pay a fee for use of the facilities, with the brothel owner not being involved in the financial transaction between prostitute and client (maison de passe, French for "trick house").

In those countries which restrict or forbid prostitution, the latter provides some level of plausible denial to the facility owner, who often (thinly) disguises the brothel as a massage parlor, bar, strip club or similar facility.

Military brothels

Until recently, in several armies around the world, a mobile brothel service was attached to the army as an auxiliary unit, especially attached to combat units on long-term deployments abroad. For example, during French and Japanese colonial campaigns of the 20th century, such employees were mainly recruited among the local populace of Northeast Asia and Africa; often, some of the women were underage. Because it is a touchy subject, military brothels were often designated with creative euphemisms. Notable examples of such jargon are la boîte à bonbons (English: "the candy box"), replacing the term "bordel militaire de campagne". Women forced into prostitution by the Japanese occupation armies throughout East Asia were known as "comfort battalions". The prostitutes were individually referred to as "military comfort women" or jūgun-ianfu.

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