Rick's Cabaret - NYC Brings Back Popular Amateur Strip-Off Competition At Its Midtown Location; Competitors Will Be Rated By The Customers And Celebrity Judge Phil Iazzetta of Sirius Radio

NEW YORK CITY-(May 3, 2006)- Rick's Cabaret-NYC, the plush gentlemen's club in Midtown Manhattan, is bringing back its "Amateur Strip-Off" competition on Mondays starting May 22nd. Performances on the mirrored-podium will be rated by customers in the club and special celebrity judge Phil Iazzetta of Sirius Radio. Top contestants will win $300 for first prize, $200 for second and $100 for third. The cabaret and steakhouse is owned by publicly traded Rick’s Cabaret International, Inc. [NASDAQ:RICK], which operates a chain of gentlemen's clubs nationwide.

The Monday night Amateur Strip-Off competition starts at 9 p.m. and marks the resumption of a popular program that was launched last fall at the three-story club located on West 33rd Street just down the street from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.  Contestants can remove as much or as little of their clothing as they want, just so they end up wearing no less than a thong or g-string.

"Women love to come to Rick's Cabaret and we are constantly being asked if we will give them a chance to dance," says Ed Anakar, General Manager of Rick's Cabaret-NYC. "Some girls say it's a long-held fantasy and others want to show off their talent to a boyfriend or husband. It's all in good taste and lots of fun." 
 
Phil Iazzetta has been in show biz his entire life. As a child actor Phil made numerous appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, which led to appearances on the ABC Afterschool Special, Friday Night Videos and a recurring role on Thundercats. Now all grown up, Phil hosts Sirius' late night talk show Getting Late and the daily request show Phil's Other Show Live!

About Rick's Cabaret
Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. (NASDAQ: RICK, www.ricks.com) operates upscale adult nightclubs serving primarily businessmen and professionals that offer live adult entertainment, restaurant and bar operations. The company owns, operates or licenses adult nightclubs in New York City, New Orleans, Houston, Minneapolis, Charlotte and other cities under the names "Rick's Cabaret," "XTC," "Club Onyx" and "Hummers." No sexual contact is permitted at any of these locations. Rick's Cabaret also owns the adult Internet membership Web site, www.couplestouch.com, and a network of nine online auction sites for adult products under the flagship URL www.naughtybids.com. Rick's Cabaret common stock is traded on the NASDAQ SmallCap market under the symbol RICK. For further information contact ir@ricks.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:
This document contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated in this document, including the risks and uncertainties associated with operating and managing an adult business, the business climates in New York City and elsewhere, the success or lack thereof in launching and building the company’s businesses in New York City and elsewhere, risks and uncertainties related to the operational and financial results of our Web sites, conditions relevant to real estate transactions, and numerous other factors such as laws governing the operation of adult entertainment businesses, competition and dependence on key personnel. Rick's has no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of future events or circumstances. For further information go to www.ricks.com.

Contact for further information: Allan Priaulx, 212-338-0050, ir@ricks.com