The historic El Cortez Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas will begin a transition to becoming a property for guests only 21 years of age and older beginning Apr. 1.
The El Cortez will become the second property in the downtown Las Vegas gambling scene with a 21 + policy. Circa opened as a 21 and older property in 2020.
El Cortez Hotel becomes 21+ in April
The transition to becoming a 21+ property will take place in two phases beginning with hotel guests. Starting Apr. 1, 2022, all hotel guests at El Cortez must be 21 years of age or older. Hotel guests must have valid state-issued identification, like a driver’s license, when checking into the hotel.
This requirement will be for all hotel guests in the main building, original vintage hotel rooms as well as the Cabana Suites which are located across the street from the casino.
El Cortez Hotel & Casino General Manager, Adam Wiesberg says:
“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.”
The hotel ID checks will impact some families looking for inexpensive hotel rooms in downtown Las Vegas. The recently renovated rooms offer excellent value for the area.
ID checks for all visitors will follow
The transition of El Cortez becoming a 21 and over property will continue at a later date. Phase two of the transition will include ID checks at every entrance for all guests visiting the casino to eat at a restaurant, drink at one of the bars and of course, gamble in the casino.
Wiesberg explains the new policy which in theory would bring El Cortez back to its roots:
“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.”
He continued saying, “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.”
The El Cortez caters to low rollers and this sometimes brings in a younger crowd. The low minimums at table games and cheap drink specials at the bars attract visitors of all ages. Once the identification checks are instituted, there should be fewer underaged guests.
Recent El Cortez renovations
El Cortez is one of the most well-known casinos in Las Vegas. The property celebrated its 80th anniversary in November last year.
The El Cortez is the longest continuously-running hotel and casino in Las Vegas. It’s also the only Las Vegas casino listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Part of the 80th-anniversary celebration includes a $25 million renovation to the property. El Cortez renovated the casino floor with brand new ceilings and new carpet. While updating the property, El Cortez still has a similar environment for guests – just a little cleaner.
The new high-limit room at El Cortez stands out from the subtle changes to the main casino floor. The intimate space has a bright and bold design and a few high blackjack games and slot machines.
In addition, El Cortez updated the hotel lobby and has been renovating the hotel rooms in the main building. The contemporary design of 200 Premium Rooms is a modern take on the Spanish Colonial Revival design of the property. These new rooms are a major upgrade for El Cortez.
An exciting hotel room renovation comes to the original 47 hotel rooms that were part of the original property when El Cortez opened in 1941. These “vintage” rooms are receiving a much-needed update.
Great gambling at El Cortez
El Cortez is popular for a variety of reasons. It’s a historic Las Vegas casino that continues to offer great gambling rules, odds and affordable minimum bets that have left many casinos over the past 80 years.
One of the best low roller blackjack games can be found at El Cortez. The $5 3:2 blackjack game has player friendly-rules with a minuscule house edge.
There are plenty of other good blackjack games at El Cortez but none have the great rules of this one particular game. Just a warning that there could be a 6:5 blackjack game open when the casino is busy.
Like many other downtown Las Vegas casinos, El Cortez offers 10x odds for craps. These free odds are better than the odds of any craps game on the Vegas Strip.
According to vpFREE2 El Cortez has numerous video poker games that return more than 99% to players. Again, these are better versions of video poker than most players will find on the Vegas Strip.
El Cortez touts that its slot machines are “30% looser than the Vegas Strip.” This is also one of the few casinos that still offer coin-operated slot machines for those looking for a trip down memory lane.
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