China’s Economic Collapse: 1 Million Educated Women Turn to ‘Sexy Pool Hall’ Jobs

[00:00:04]How many hours did you play today? Not very long. About four hours. 4 hours is already very good. Many billiards attendance today cannot even reach an intermediate level. If you can play for 4 hours and support yourself, you're already doing well. The industry is weak right now and the economy is slow. So, you're doing really well.

[00:00:23]>> I still want to improve.

[00:00:25]>> Of course, you can keep improving your skills and move to the next level. Yes, I come here every day to practice.

[00:00:31]>> Good. People like you who are skilled and motivated are rare. Do you usually dress like this?

[00:00:36]>> Yes, I do.

[00:00:37]>> The attendants in your shop are well-dressed and quite stylish, even sexy.

[00:00:42]>> Really?

[00:00:42]>> Yes, I like it.

[00:00:44]>> So, in your view, am I the best looking one?

[00:00:46]>> Yes. In my view, you're the best looking attendant in the shop and even across all the shops. As China's economy slows, many industries are in decline. At the same time, billiards halls have become more popular and attract larger crowds.

[00:01:01]In recent years, beautiful attendants have appeared in many billiard clubs.

[00:01:05]Some wear very revealing clothing, such as short skirts and tight outfits. They also use exaggerated poses when setting up shots. Many people now feel that these venues are no longer only for sport. Online, some extreme claims also appear. Some say billure rooms offer private room play where attendants in short skirts become more exposed as the game continues. These claims attract customers who are not there to play seriously but to flirt or seek contact.

[00:01:33]One attendant said customers care more about appearance than skill.

[00:01:41]Billyard halls are becoming linked to illegal sex transactions. I believe revealing clothing is more common. The lighting is dimmer and single men are the main target. I also think nightlife workers are moving into this industry because it pays better and has shorter working hours. Some people use social media to attract customers under the idea of playing billiards together.

[00:02:02]However, this can lead to pressure, stigma, and health risks for young workers. Many billiards attendants are young people who have just left school or move from low-paying jobs. With high living costs and low wages, the promise of quick income becomes attractive to keep customers. Some venues reportedly tell staff to cooperate with customers.

[00:02:22]This includes drinking, chatting, and sometimes allowing physical contact.

[00:02:26]These interactions are described as normal work, but they place staff in a gray area in exchange for profit.

[00:02:37]You don't even let customers touch. How can this business survive? Customers are paying. If someone chooses you, that is your chance. A bit of contact during interaction is normal. As a result, billiard halls have changed in character. In many cases, they are no longer just sports venues. Some now rely heavily on beautiful attendance and related services. Some venues also rebrand as companionship or experience-based services, using young workers as a source of profit.

[00:03:10]If a customer asks you to go for a late night meal, would you go?

[00:03:14]>> Yes, I would.

[00:03:15]>> Every customer?

[00:03:16]>> Not necessarily. It depends on my mood.

[00:03:19]If my KPI this month is not good, I might go.

[00:03:22]>> So, in other words, you would go for money?

[00:03:24]>> Yes.

[00:03:25]>> So, as long as someone pays, you'd go?

[00:03:27]>> Well, not exactly like that.

[00:03:30]>> Would you be willing to have a meal with customers?

[00:03:32]>> It depends on the customer. So, if you often hang together and become friends, you would go out to eat together. Do you treat all your customers as friends?

[00:03:40]>> Yes, I do.

[00:03:40]>> If you've had some alcohol, aren't you worried about your safety when going out?

[00:03:44]>> Yes, I am. That is why I might pretend to be drunk.

[00:03:48]>> In private rooms at billboard halls, have customers ever made inappropriate requests?

[00:03:54]>> Yes, basically. Almost all of them do.

[00:03:56]>> Almost all of them. How do you deal with that?

[00:03:58]>> I firmly refuse. Absolutely not. But wouldn't that lead to fewer customers?

[00:04:04]>> Yes. Now many of them no longer come to play billiards with me. Workers who are once active in traditional KTVs and bars are increasingly moving into roles as billiards attendants or billiards companions.

[00:04:20]>> I think many of the attendants in a billiard hall in Jan Yuan are actually packaged fake college students. A hometown friend of mine often goes there to play and he says that eight out of 10 men are not really there for billiards.

[00:04:32]They're there for the people. The attendants all claim to be university students and the prices aren't low. On one occasion, my friend spent 400 yen on an attendant and later discovered wrinkles on her abdomen. When asked, she said it was from weight loss. In the end, he only received a 10en refund after saying he's a regular. This raises the question of whether this kind of misleading promotion should be strictly regulated.

[00:04:58]Affected by China's broader economic environment, the diversion of online entertainment, and changing social habits among young people, traditional KTV businesses and KTV venues are steadily declining. Overall foot traffic and income in the industry have dropped significantly. Ordinary billiards coaching usually costs only a few dozen to around a h 100red yen per hour. But so-called attendance services which imply additional purposes can charge several hundred yen per hour or even more. In some private rooms, expensive alcohol and dice games are even mandatory add-ons, pushing total spending into the tens of thousands.

[00:05:35]Many consumers and online commenters report that spending in some billiards venues has become seriously distorted.

[00:05:42]Customers are encouraged to buy alcohol and snacks while attendants are build hourly. On top of that, this leads to bills that can easily exceed 10,000 yen, far beyond normal sport or recreation.

[00:05:59]>> Mr. Wong, your total spending today is 10,960.

[00:06:04]Let me walk you through the itemized bill at the front desk. For the rose gold joy bill your table, it is 228 yen per hour. You played for 12 hours, which totals 2,736 yen. You also played four high-rated attendants. That's 138 yen per hour each for 12 hours, which comes to 6,624 yen. There's also 1,600 yen in product charges. In total, your bill is 10,960.

[00:06:32]I recommend a membership card. With it, you can get a 40 to 50% discount on table fees. The required recharge is 28,888 yen to qualify.

[00:06:43]>> Then just top up 300,000 yen.

[00:06:45]>> Okay. After applying the discount, your table fee becomes 1,200 yen. Your total for this visit is 9,455.

[00:06:53]>> All right. I'll just pay by card.

[00:06:55]>> Yes, sir. You'll still have a remaining balance of 20,544 on your card.

[00:07:02]>> Okay.

[00:07:02]>> Let me get you a Red Bull.

[00:07:04]>> No need.

[00:07:04]>> Let me add it to your tab for free, sir.

[00:07:07]Next time you come, please message me in advance. It has been busy lately. I'll reserve a private room for you ahead of time.

[00:07:13]>> Sure, no problem.

[00:07:15]>> The sudden rise of the billiards industry reflects a deeper social reality. In recent years, China's economy has faced multiple challenges. A deep correction in the real estate market, weakening consumer confidence, difficulties in private business operations, and changes in the external trade environment. Together, these factors have pushed many traditional industries into decline. Factory orders have fallen. Service sector traffic has dropped. White collar competition has intensified. And pressure on retail rents remains very high. Against this backdrop, Billyard's revenue operators have found that just having tables and lighting is no longer enough to cover high operating costs. As a result, the beautiful attended model has become a faster way to recover revenue. Some middle-aged men who have failed in business as well as idol young men are now entering these new style billiards venues. Some online commentators have issued warnings.

[00:08:13]>> I think an emerging form of prostitution has already appeared for people who enjoy playing billiards. I want to say that some unregulated billiards venues have become frequent sites for illicit activity. In addition to normal billiard services, they also provide fair-skinned, attractive women with long legs as an attendance, offering so-called companion services. With the rapid spread of this new model, China's billiards industry has been heating up.

[00:08:39]Recent industry research shows continued growth in recent years. Some institutions estimated that by 2025, the market could reach the trillion level with more than 200 million players nationwide. Although these figures are not based on official census data, one thing is clear. Billiards is moving from a niche pastime into a highfrequency consumer market. With new venues appearing across the country, however, what appears to be a sports space is increasingly becoming controversial.

[00:09:08]Issues such as suggestive marketing, induced consumption, private room socializing, and in some cases, allegations of illicit escort services, and gambling facilitation have all been reported. The question raised is why an industry that should focus on cues, tables, and competition has become increasingly blurred. The controversy is not without basis. In some locations, undercover reports have found that inside dimly lit VIP billiards rooms, the environment extends far beyond standard pool tables. Karaoke systems and bar style setups are installed.

[00:09:42]Inside these rooms, customers can play billiards, drink, sing, and dance. In extreme cases, reports suggest that some individuals use billiards venues as a customer acquisition channel, arranging illegal sexual services privately inside or outside the venue. This kind of borderline marketing blurs the line between legitimate coaching services and illicit escort style arrangements. At the core of the issue, profit-driven incentives have led many billiard venues to push the attendant economy into increasingly ambiguous territory. The model often begins with short skirts, black stockings, and high heels to attract attention, then shifts towards higher spending per customer. In 2025, Hongjo reportedly saw a dispute involving a billiards venue. A customer, guided by an attendant, was rapidly led into large alcohol and food orders. The bill escalated quickly, and when the customer refused to pay, the situation reportedly turned into a physical confrontation. Such cases suggest that once attended companionship play shifts from a technical service into emotional manipulation, billiards venues can drift from sports spaces into gray area social environments. They may become hotspots for induced consumption. The rapid growth of the billiards industry has also raised broader concerns. After establishing profitable self-operated stores, many brands rely on franchising fees as a key profit model. A single brand may charge over 100,000 yen per franchise. With more than 100 outlets nationwide, total revenue can reach tens of millions. In the current economic climate, such returns are seen as highly profitable. To attract investors, brands must demonstrate strong revenue performance from flagship stores. In simple terms, they must prove profitability. According to one business blogger, a 2,000 square meter billard's hall may require around 2 million yen in investment. Under an attendant companionship model, monthly revenue may reportedly reach 1 million yen or more than 12 million yen per year. However, any business that appears highly profitable on the surface also carries hidden risks. As this model spreads, more private capital is expected to enter the sector and billiards venues are likely to expand rapidly.

[00:11:56]Competition will intensify and payback periods will lengthen significantly. At the same time, under extreme competition, some operators may lower ethical standards to survive. The label of billiards attendant may be used to cover sexualized services. What is officially sold as companionship play often becomes a mix of social signaling, emotional appeal, and perceived status.

[00:12:20]In effect, billiards only becomes a shell. What is actually being sold is attention, ambiguity, and the expectation that continued spending may lead to further outcomes. This model is considered risky because it can easily cross boundaries and is structured in a way that encourages manipulative spending. During economic downturn cycles in China, businesses that appear to generate fast returns often follow a similar pattern. A trend emerges.

[00:12:46]Capital flows in. The concept expands rapidly. Competition intensifies. The model becomes distorted. Regulation increases or interest fades. And eventually little remains.

[00:12:59]For example, the KTV industry once flourished for decades in China.

[00:13:03]According to industry data from Tenyant Cha and other public sources, after reaching its peak, the sector experienced a sustained wave of closures. Over the past decade, the number of KTV venues fell from more than 120,000 to fewer than 40,000. This represents an average of more than 8,000 closures per year, or over 20 per day.

[00:13:25]At its peak, the number of KTV hostesses reportedly reach the million level. As beautiful attendants become an open secret in the billiards industry, pressure from anti- pornography enforcement is expected to increase at the government level. Under conditions of high local government debt, fines and shutdowns may also lead to operator bankruptcies.

[00:13:45]More voices now predict that the current boom will not last. Like many previous internet famous industries, it is expected to decline quickly and leave behind a problematic aftermath.

[00:13:57]The root of this model is linked to China's broader economic slowdown, which has created both employment pressure and consumption anxiety. University graduates face unemployment upon graduation. They lack stable job opportunities and are pushed into selling their youth. Many are drawn into platform-based gig work and low-end service sectors. At a deeper level, the underlying cause is the continued weakening of the economic environment.

[00:14:22]Reports suggest China's flexible employment population may reach 320 million by 2026, or more than 40% of urban employment.

[00:14:33]A large share of this group does not choose flexible work voluntarily but is forced into it due to a lack of options.

[00:14:40]Formal employment remains limited.

[00:14:42]Individuals must fund their own social security and healthcare. Incomes fluctuate and future security is uncertain. Young people who should be driving industrial upgrading are increasingly absorbed into low barrier high-risisk sectors such as sexualized services, food delivery, and ride hailing. In short, the dimming lights of billiards halls and the shortening skirts of attendance are not signs of prosperity, but signs of stagnation.

[00:15:09]Behind China's 320 million flexible workers lies widespread anxiety about the future and weakening pathways for upward mobility. What young people need is decent employment and an economic system that provides real opportunities for work.