The El Cortez Hotel & Casino, widely regarded as the oldest operating Vegas hotel, is launching a Halloween-themed contest offering thrill-seekers the chance to win $5,000 by investigating paranormal activity on the property.
Organized by Casino.org, the contest invites one selected participant to spend a weekend exploring the potentially haunted corridors of the El Cortez, located on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas—an area often referred to as the “Old Strip.” Built in 1941, the El Cortez has a storied past, involving mobsters, mysterious deaths, and rumors of ghost sightings.
The chosen guest will be outfitted with professional ghost-hunting equipment, including EMF meters, EVP recorders, and thermal sensors. Their mission: to detect and document any signs of paranormal activity throughout the historic Vegas hotel, including its original rooms, basement, and casino floor.
Contest entries are open from October 6 through October 31, with the winner scheduled to conduct the ghost hunt in early December. Participants are expected to submit visual evidence and a written report detailing any eerie, unusual, or humorous experiences.
Notably, the basement of the El Cortez is rumored to house the cremated remains of former employees, adding another layer of mystery to the assignment.
This opportunity arrives as tourists continue to grapple with rising costs in Las Vegas. “I had a $14 coffee. It was just a latte with a few extra flavors,” one visitor from Texas said. Another commented on paying $12 for a lemonade. Against this backdrop, a $5,000 reward for staying in a haunted Vegas hotel could be especially enticing.
The contest adds a chilling twist to Las Vegas’s already vibrant Halloween season, blending local history, urban legend, and modern thrill-seeking in one of the city’s most iconic locations.