El Cortez hotel-casino marks 85 years in downtown Las Vegas as owner Kenny Epstein keeps it a period piece

What happened

The El Cortez hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas turns 85 on Saturday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Owner Kenny Epstein also turned 85 this year, in July, and has been connected to the property for more than half his life.

In an interview with the Review-Journal at the property's recently opened Alex Prime steakhouse, Epstein described the casino as a family-owned business and said it means everything to him. The steakhouse is named in honor of his late daughter, Alexandra Epstein-Gudai, who died in February.

A casino that opened in 1941

Ownership history

According to the Review-Journal, John Kell "JK" Houssels Sr. opened the El Cortez at Fremont Street and 6th Street on Nov. 7, 1941. The property briefly passed to a group of organized crime figures before going back to the Houssels family. Jackie Gaughan acquired it in 1963, Epstein became a partner some years later, and Epstein bought the hotel-casino in 2008.

Epstein called Gaughan his mentor and an innovator. He told the Review-Journal the most important lesson he learned was to take care of every customer, no matter how much they spend.

What a historian says

Michael Green, a UNLV historian and executive director of Preserve Nevada, told the Review-Journal the El Cortez belongs to a small group of surviving properties from the early years of the city's casino industry. Others from that period, including the El Rancho Vegas and the Hotel Last Frontier, are gone. "One of the reasons it has relevance (today) is that it's still there and partly in its original form," Green said.

Green also credited the people who have run the property and the small number of ownership changes over the decades. He said historic properties cannot stay relevant just by preserving every feature, and that the El Cortez has kept its vintage character while adding modern touches.

Changes without a reinvention

Recent investments

Adam Wiesberg, the property's vice president and general manager, started as a dealer there 12 years ago. He told the Review-Journal the El Cortez has invested in hotel rooms, the casino floor and dining, including an approximately $25 million casino expansion completed last year and an $8 million renovation of the space that became Alex Prime. For more on building projects around the valley, see our development coverage.

Epstein framed the work as an evolution. "We just spruced the old girl up and still kept it as a period piece," he told the Review-Journal.

Social media and live streams

Wiesberg said the casino's ties to gambling influencers began about a decade ago, when a slot player asked to record her play and he agreed. Live blackjack streams followed, including one of the first sessions he approved in late 2017 or early 2018. He said the relationships developed over time and are not simply paid promotional arrangements.

How management describes its approach

Wiesberg said Epstein is at the property six days a week and is involved in decisions across the operation. He contrasted the El Cortez with larger corporate resorts that rely on formal service training. "Hospitality and customer service, we don't train it, but we live it," he told the Review-Journal.

Epstein said the property's smaller size makes it easier to see and look after guests. "You just can't cater to the best customer; you have to cater to everybody," he said. Readers can find more stories about downtown and other Las Vegas neighborhoods in our neighborhood coverage.

What to watch next

• The El Cortez marks its 85th anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 7.
• Wiesberg said work is ongoing on the players' club and guest services area.
• A refreshed history hallway is in progress, according to the Review-Journal.
• The property has plans for future suite upgrades, Wiesberg said.