El Cortez Hotel & Casino

You are standing in front of one of the most iconic places in historic Las Vegas: the El Cortez. Opened on November 7, 1941, it is the oldest casino in Las Vegas that has operated continuously since its opening. There’s no futuristic mega-resort here, just a building filled with history, listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and its famous neon sign. In the 40s, the El Cortez briefly passed into the hands of well-known organized crime figures such as Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky. Later, in 1963, the legendary casino operator Jackie Gaughan became the owner and even made it his personal residence for more than thirty years. His former penthouse, now called the Jackie Gaughan Suite, can still be rented today. The hotel now offers 364 rooms spread across several sections: the historic “Original 47” rooms located above the casino, the Pavilion Rooms with their old-school atmosphere, the more modern Tower rooms, and the contemporary Cabana Suites located at the back of the property. Today the entire property is reserved for guests aged 21 and over. The casino itself is still known for its authentic feel. You can even find slot machines that accept real coins, something that has become very rare in Las Vegas. It’s also one of the few casinos that allows live streaming at gaming tables, which has made it especially popular with online content creators. The El Cortez is a living piece of Las Vegas history, a place where people come not only to gamble, but also to experience the atmosphere of the city’s early days.