El Cortez in Downtown Las Vegas is one of the oldest casinos in Las Vegas. Going into 2025, its $20 million expansion and renovation is nearly ready to open to the public.
The historic casino opened in 1941 and was closely connected to the Las Vegas mob of the day. In the modern era, the casino trades on its old school vibe. It is one of the only Las Vegas casinos to still offer coin-operated slot machines, and vintage Sin City memorabilia adorns the casino’s walls.
The new upgrades will add several hundred more slot machines, a dozen more table games, and half a dozen new restaurants and bars. The upgrades are now mostly finished, management said, and will be ready to open to guests in early February 2025.
The Upgrades
In 2022, El Cortez renovated all of its guest rooms, keeping the historic retro vibes throughout. Now, going into 2025, it’s been the turn of the casino itself.
Starting with the main floor, the rebuild has added a new Roulette themed central bar. The area features a horseshoe shaped bar with a large replica roulette wheel spinning on the ceiling above it.
The area behind what was previously Ike’s bar and lounge has been replaced with a new casino floor area, with an additional eight table games and 200 new slot machines.
The east area of the property has been expanded with a new bar area. Called the Show Bar its main features are two 12 foot by 10 foot screens for all kinds of purposes, a stage for up to six live performers, and a new seating and bar area.
That side of the casino will also have new high limit slot banks, with 43 new machines installed. The new eating options include a new food menu at the Roulette Bar, a noodle joint called Hot Noodz, and a steakhouse called Bronson’s.
The Build
El Cortez’s management were clear on two things before the rebuild and expansion began. One, as much of the venue’s operations should remain open at all times for as long as possible. Two, the historic, Old Vegas feel of the venue must be kept intact.
“It’s a gamble house like any others, but it’s ours,” said the casino’s CEO Kenny Epstein. Age 83, the veteran Las Vegas casino manager first started his career at Caesars Palace in 1966 before moving to El Cortez in the 1980s.
“We care about it, we love it, and we’re proud of this. I just hope the people accept it and like it,” he said.
The new build also adds connections between the various buildings of El Cortez, which has been added to somewhat haphazardly over the years. Builders worked with management to keep the character of the property, while connecting previous sections sometimes built four or five decades apart from each other.
“We were all mentored by former owner Jackie Gaughan, and we’re just carrying on what Jackie Gaughan taught us — what he put in place for us,” Epstein said.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
