El Cortez · Las Vegas

Year Opened

1941

Hours

Open 24/7

Age Restriction

21++

Property Type

Casinos

Regulator

Nevada Gaming Control Board

Owner

Kenny Epstein

Tables

19

Slot Machines

1,004

Phone

702-385-5200

About El Cortez

El Cortez Hotel & Casino is a commercial casino at 600 Fremont Street in Las Vegas, Nevada, owned by Kenny Epstein since 1963. The property opened in 1941 — making it the oldest continuously operating casino in Las Vegas at the same address under the same name. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. All gaming is regulated by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, with a minimum gambling age of 21. The floor operates 24 hours a day. Phone: (702) 385-5200; website: elcortezhotelcasino.com.

El Cortez’s history is inseparable from the history of Las Vegas itself. The casino opened in 1941 on Fremont Street — the street that defined Las Vegas gaming for the first several decades of the city’s modern existence, before the Strip emerged as the dominant tourist corridor. The property briefly passed through the ownership of Bugsy Siegel (of Flamingo Hotel fame) in the 1940s before entering a more stable ownership chain. Kenny Epstein has owned and operated El Cortez since 1963, making his tenure one of the longest single-owner runs in Las Vegas gaming history.

The 600 Fremont Street address falls within the Fremont Street Experience area of downtown Las Vegas, east of the main pedestrian canopy. El Cortez occupies a distinctly different market position than the corporate casino brands in the area — its identity is explicitly built around the vintage Las Vegas aesthetic, player-friendly game rules, and the property’s documented history. Social handles: @ElCortezLasVegas on Facebook, @elcortezlv on Instagram. For visitors interested in the Las Vegas downtown casino corridor with genuine historical depth, El Cortez is the most significant address on Fremont Street by age.

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El Cortez

Las Vegas, Nevada

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El Cortez in Las Vegas, Nevada

Blackjack Program

El Cortez is one of the last downtown Las Vegas casinos to offer Single Deck Blackjack as a regular game. The single-deck format carries the lowest house edge of any blackjack configuration when played with correct basic strategy — typically under 0.5% with standard rule sets. Most Las Vegas casinos have moved exclusively to six-deck and eight-deck shoe games, which carry higher house edges and are more resistant to card counting. El Cortez’s Double Deck Blackjack tables offer a middle ground between single-deck and shoe games.

Progressive Blackjack adds a jackpot side bet to a standard blackjack layout — suited cards (particularly Aces) trigger escalating jackpot payouts. Standard Blackjack rounds out the three-format menu. For blackjack players who specifically seek single-deck availability in downtown Las Vegas, El Cortez is the most reliable address. Confirm current game availability, rule sets (dealer hits soft 17 vs. stands, double-down rules, surrender availability), and table minimums at elcortezhotelcasino.com or (702) 385-5200 before a blackjack-focused visit.

Poker Room

El Cortez operates a 3-table live poker room spreading 7 Card Stud and NL Texas Hold’em. The 7 Card Stud offering is uncommon in the downtown Las Vegas market, where most smaller rooms have shifted to NL Hold’em exclusively. Three tables means seat availability is limited — call (702) 385-5200 to confirm current game schedule and seat availability before a poker-focused visit.

Gaming Club Loyalty Program

El Cortez operates the Gaming Club loyalty program. Points accumulate on slot machine play and eligible table game activity. An active promotions page and events calendar (has_promotions_page: TRUE; has_events_page: TRUE) reflect ongoing bonus events and drawing promotions. The program and current earn rates should be confirmed at the players desk or at elcortezhotelcasino.com.

★ Editor note

El Cortez — 84 years on Fremont Street, Single Deck Blackjack, and the most historically significant address in Las Vegas gaming

El Cortez opened in 1941 and has operated at 600 Fremont Street continuously ever since — under Bugsy Siegel's brief ownership in the 1940s and Kenny Epstein's ownership since 1963. The 19-table floor is not large, but the Single Deck Blackjack program (alongside Double Deck and Progressive Blackjack), 3-table poker room with 7 Card Stud, Gaming Club loyalty program, and documented history make El Cortez a destination for visitors who take casino gaming seriously rather than passively. The National Register listing confirms the building's historic significance. Confirm current blackjack rules and poker schedules at elcortezhotelcasino.com or (702) 385-5200.

Priya Sharma

Responsible Gaming Editor

Licensing and Regulation

El Cortez Hotel & Casino is a commercial gaming property licensed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Sports wagering is legal under Nevada state law. The minimum gambling age is 21.