El Cortez Marks 85 Years With Renovation
The downtown Las Vegas hotel-casino celebrated its 85th anniversary after completing a $22 million casino renovation.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Casino
El Cortez Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas celebrated its 85th anniversary, marking the milestone after completing a $22 million casino renovation. The property was among the first in Las Vegas designed and built specifically as a hotel-casino.
Why it matters
The renovation updates gaming offerings while aiming to keep the property's older Las Vegas character intact. It reflects how long-established downtown properties are reinvesting to attract younger guests.
The property has operated for 85 years, with a $22 million casino renovation and an $8 million restaurant renovation completed. The source does not report post-renovation revenue or visitor metrics.
The players
El Cortez Hotel and Casino
A downtown Las Vegas hotel-casino that is among the city's earliest properties designed and built specifically for gaming and lodging.
Bugsy Siegel
A figure in Las Vegas history whose brief 1945 ownership of El Cortez is commemorated in the name of the property's restaurant.
The details
The casino renovation included upgrades to table games and slot machines, while retaining an area with dollar coin slot machines. The restaurant, updated in a separate $8 million project, operates as Seagulls by day and as a New York-style steakhouse at night, a name that references former owner Bugsy Siegel, who owned the property for about a year in 1945.
Timeline
World War II: El Cortez was built during the war.
1945: Bugsy Siegel owned El Cortez for about a year.
November 5, 2026: El Cortez Hotel and Casino Day was proclaimed by the city to mark the 85th anniversary.
November 11, 2026: Coverage of the 85th anniversary celebration was published.
Legal Context
El Cortez's Seagulls restaurant name links the modern property to Bugsy Siegel's brief 1945 ownership, one of the earliest chapters in the downtown Las Vegas gaming era. The renovation keeps that lineage visible while updating the property for a newer audience.
Visitors to El Cortez can now use the renovated casino floor and the updated restaurant, which operates as Seagulls during the day and a steakhouse at night. The retained dollar coin slot area remains available for guests who prefer that format.
The takeaway
Long-running downtown properties are reinvesting in both gaming and dining while preserving historical identity. For visitors, that means older Las Vegas character can coexist with updated amenities.
Further reading
Explore more Casino news and coverage of Las Vegas properties.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Yogonet.
