El Cortez, Spanish Colonial Revival casino in Downtown Las Vegas, United States.
El Cortez is a hotel and casino located in downtown Las Vegas featuring Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The property includes gaming floors with table games and slot machines, along with a sports book and multiple restaurants.
Marion Hicks and J.C. Grayson built El Cortez for $245,000; it opened on November 7, 1941 at 6th Street and Fremont, then considered too far from downtown. In 1945 Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum and Moe Sedway bought it for $600,000, and J. Kell Houssels bought it back in 1946 for $766,000. Jackie Gaughan added the Pavilion Rooms in 1963 and a 15-story tower in 1984; the building joined the National Register of Historic Places on February 22, 2013.
The name is not tied to Hernán Cortés in any source; the property instead keeps a Spanish Colonial Revival look and ranch-themed signage from its 1952 façade remodel. Visitors can spot the cursive "El Cortez" signs on the brick tower and the scalloped red-light trim above the arched entrance. The casino has long drawn locals rather than tourists, and since the early 2020s players can stream live table play online.
The casino sits one block from Fremont Street Experience and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors will find free parking, wireless internet, and dining options throughout the property.
The casino functions as a training ground where new dealers learn their skills before moving to larger properties. This role has made it an important learning hub within the city's gaming industry.
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