Downtown Vegas' El Cortez casino to gradually become 21+ property following $25M renovation

Downtown Las Vegas hotel-casino El Cortez is becoming a 21+ property. The historic venue, which opened in 1941 and is one of the oldest hotel-casino properties in Vegas, will start introducing the policy change in April, when it will begin requiring an ID to book a room. It will be Las Vegas' second adults-only resort after Circa.

The venue will make the transition in two phases, with the second one requiring an ID at the doors, reports KTNV Las Vegas. Officials for the casino have not yet specified when that second phase would launch.

“This transition comes after careful consideration and decades of trying to accommodate minors in a property that is focused primarily on gaming and popular casino bars,” said General Manager Adam Weisberg in a press release. 

For all hotel stay booked April 1, 2022, and beyond, all guests must be 21 years of age or older, with a valid state-issued identification, the casino explains. Meanwhile, Phase II of the policy will include identification checks “at every entrance,” making the entire property, including all food and beverage outlets, limited to guests 21 years and older.

“While Las Vegas has grown and adapted to cater to all demographics, El Cortez remains a traditional gambling house with great gaming odds and an indescribable feeling of stepping back in time,” Wiesberg added.

According to the General Manager, El Cortez is the spot “where adults have gathered to enjoy a cocktail or two and try their luck in the casino” for over 80 years to date. He describes the venue as offering “an action-packed casino floor” with 700 slot machines and 25 table games, “all with great odds for our adult players to enjoy in a historic, one-of-a-kind setting.”

The change in policy is part of a $25 million remodeling process launched during the pandemic, which culminated in January last year, in time for its 80th anniversary in Vegas. The team behind the hotel-casino -the longest-running in the gambling mecca- aimed to protect the “vibrant history” of the venue throughout the renovation.

Special care was put to bring an elevated guest experience while preserving the “vintage charm and authenticity” that characterizes the property. As part of the remodel, El Cortez revamped the casino floor with brand new ceilings and a woven Axminster carpet by world-famous manufacturer Brintons.

Additionally, the venue now features 200 remodeled, premium tower rooms and suites that “inspire a modern take on historical themes,” boasting contemporary design blended with inspiration from the Spanish Colonial Revival era. 

The casino also opened its first-ever high-limit room as part of the remodel, which features two high-limit blackjack tables and three high-limit slot machines, including Aristocrat’s Dragon Cash and two Ainsworth Super Charged 7s. Still in progress is a renovation of 47 original vintage rooms built in 1941, the year when the National Register of Historic Places-listed venue opened its doors.

The first property in downtown Vegas to be strictly 21 and over was Circa Resort & Casino Las Vegas, which enforced the policy upon its debut in October 2020.