Prince Harry nude scandal makes millions

London - Pictures of Prince Harry's naked scandal were seen by 154 million people and gave Las Vegas $23m (R201m) worth of free publicity.

The 28-year-old royal caused controversy when nude photographs of him playing strip billiard with a bevy of beauties were published online in August. But, according a new report issued by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) the incident has given the city a major tourism boost as the images were seen by an estimated 154 million people.

LVCVA Board Chairman Tom Collins told a recent board meeting: "God bless Prince Harry. He made us a bunch of money", according to the gossip website TMZ.

Positive effect on economy

The agency is reportedly unsure of exactly how much the scandal boosted profits but officials say there is no doubt that the scandal had a positive effect on their economy.

Prince Harry is currently in Afghanistan after being deployed for a four-month stint based at Camp Bastian in the Helmand province.

Last month, Harry who is known as Captain Wales while in the Army, was moved to a secure location under guard during a Taliban attack on his base.

He previously spent 10 weeks fighting in the region during 2007 to 2008 but was brought back to the UK when the media reported his whereabouts.