(No surprise) Sex is profitable
• Amorous Capitalism
Queensland's Prostitution Licensing Authority reports that licensed brothels contribute over $300,000,000 to the local economy.
Take this weekend's Sexpo at the Brisbane Convention Centre, where some 25,000 people are expected to pay $18 each to visit a trade show with more than 70 exhibitors.
That's close to $500,000 in gate takings alone – before you consider the sales inside the exhibition where stands include adult retailers, body piercing, brothels, sex toys, lingerie and leather goods, intimate photography, strippers and website dating.
It is a vast industry that spans everything from erotic DVDs to herbal aphrodisiacs to adult internet sites, and seemingly dozens of strip clubs in the style of Bad Girls.
The wider public acceptance of the industry is illustrated by the fact that three "adult" groups are now listed on the Australian Stock Exchange: brothel owner Daily Planet; and retailer/distributor Gallery Global Networks and adultshop.com.
Adultshop.com was the first of the adult groups to go public, and was built around a chain of adult stores (Barbarella's) in Western Australia and online retailing. Since then it has acquired mail-order video/DVD distributor AXIS, and wholesale group Calvista Australia.