Nearly 12 years after closing its doors, Shady Lady Ranch may be preparing to return to Nevada’s legal prostitution industry. According to the agenda for the November 12 meeting of the Nye County Licensing and Liquor Board, commissioners will consider referring a new brothel license application to the county sheriff for investigation. The application identifies Nigel White as the applicant and lists the former Shady Lady property along U.S. Highway 95 near Beatty as the proposed location.
The possible reopening comes after more than a decade of consolidation in Nye County’s brothel industry. In 2012, seven legal brothels were operating in the county. Today, three remain: Sheri’s Ranch, Chicken Ranch and Alien Cathouse. If Shady Lady Ranch successfully completes the licensing process and resumes operations, it would become Nye County’s fourth operating brothel, bringing another establishment into a market that has become increasingly concentrated over the past decade.
A Return Years in the Making
Shady Lady Ranch operated along U.S. Highway 95 for more than two decades before its longtime owner, Bobbi Davis, closed the brothel in December 2014. Nye County commissioners formally accepted the surrender of its license in February 2015. The property subsequently became a bed-and-breakfast, which Nigel and Jennifer White purchased in 2018. The couple renovated the establishment, retaining the Shady Lady name and much of the former brothel’s character.
But Nigel White hasn’t exactly kept his interest in reopening the brothel a secret. In a 2022 Desert Companion feature, journalist John M. Glionna documented White’s longstanding interest in returning the property to brothel operations. Chuck Muth, who was associated with the Nevada Brothel Association, recalled visiting the property in 2019 and hearing White discuss reopening the brothel as a secondary business. Three years later, White was still entertaining the idea, although Jennifer expressed reservations about the prospect. With a formal license application now before Nye County officials, a possibility discussed for years has taken a more concrete step forward.
What Happens Next?
Under Nye County’s brothel licensing regulations, specifically Sections 9.20.080 and 9.20.100, new applications must be referred to the sheriff for an investigation that includes criminal background checks, financial reviews and interviews with the applicant and key personnel. Once the investigation is complete, the sheriff submits a written report to the licensing board, which can approve or deny the application, request additional information or order further investigation.
The county’s next regular commission meeting is scheduled for December 1, although there’s no guarantee that the Shady Lady application will be ready for consideration by then. For now, the November 12 meeting represents the next public step toward a possible reopening, and no timetable for resuming brothel operations has been publicly confirmed.
Photo credits
Shady Lady Ranch roadside sign, photographed by Sydney Poore and Russell Poore, November 5, 2007. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. (Cropped.)
Shady Lady Ranch buildings and entrance, photographed by Sydney Poore and Russell Poore, November 5, 2007. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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