Pay-to-party: How the stars rake in the cash

(People.com) -- Remember the song "You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party"? Well what if somebody paid you to party?

That's exactly what happens for choice celebs in clubs from Las Vegas to Miami, where the very sight of a star, or so the reckoning goes, is enough to draw a crowd of paying customers.

The evidence:

• Kim Kardashian was reportedly paid $50,000 by Tao Las Vegas to celebrate her 29th birthday at the club earlier this month.

• In 2006, Britney Spears hosted a New Year's Eve bash at the Strip's Pure Nightclub -- and collected a reported $350,000 to ring in 2007.

• Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz took home a check for $150,000 for hanging out at Miami's Shore Club in 2007.

• Jon Gosselin was reportedly paid $10,000 to hang poolside at Vegas's Wet Republic this summer.

"The reason you pay celebrities is because, more often than not, they're worth it," said one Las Vegas club executive who books celebrity parties. "People want to say they've partied at the same club as this celebrity or that celebrity."

Often referred to as "host" of the night, a celebrity's duty is really pretty simple: Nothing. Typically, their only requirement is to show up, and club owners can only hope the stars will return -- this time for free -- if they have a good time.

Take Paris Hilton and her little sister, Nicky. Together, they received a reported $500,000 to ring in 2008 at Vegas's LAX Nightclub -- and they have both returned many times at no additional charge.

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