Brothel

A brothel is a place where people may come to engage in sexual activity with a prostitute. Technically, any place where prostitution commonly takes place is a brothel, but in places where prostitution or the operation of brothels is illegal, establishments may attempt to disguise their involvement in prostitution by referring to the business as massage parlors, bars or strip clubs. The operation of a brothel is legal in some jurisdictions and illegal or regulated in others.

Laws regulating brothels vary considerably. These laws vary between countries as well as within countries, and have varied over time. In some jurisdictions, brothels are legal and regulated, while in others they are illegal. However, even in jurisdictions which regulate brothels, there are brothels which operate outside the officially approved system.