Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley Proclaims Feb. 20, 2025, “El Cortez Hotel & Casino Day”
Las Vegas, NV (Feb. 21, 2025)— On Thursday, Feb. 20, El Cortez Hotel & Casino [3], the most extended continuously-running hotel and casino in Las Vegas, celebrated the completion of its property-wide expansion with a grand re-opening event featuring remarks from top El Cortez executives, signature cocktails and bites from three new food and beverage outlets, and a special proclamation from Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley.
Stationed in front of the casino’s new ShowBar, El Cortez owner and CEO Kenny Epstein expressed his excitement about the new chapter this expansion brings to El Cortez’s iconic history, a sentiment echoed by fellow El Cortez executives Mike Nolan, COO, and Joe Woody, CFO. The speeches culminated in Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley issuing a formal proclamation declaring Feb. 20, 2025, “El Cortez Hotel & Casino Day” throughout the city.
Following the remarks, guests enjoyed bites from Hot Noods by Chinglish, the casino’s newest dining venue from Michelin Guide-recognized Chef Po Fai Lam and Operating Partner Kitty Heck. Signature drinks from the casino’s newest bars – ShowBar and Roulette Bar – kept the party going, alongside live music from singer Michael Nugent.
Other notable guests in attendance included:
- Michael Gaughan: Owner of South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa and son of Las Vegas icon Jackie Gaughan
- Tito Tiberti: Former President, J.A. Tiberti Construction and friend of Epstein and Gaughan families
- Nancy Houssels: Co-founder and Board Chair Emeritus, Nevada Ballet Theater, and former wife to J.K. Houssels, Jr., whose father, J.K. Houssels, Sr., built the El Cortez.
Initially run by notorious Las Vegas legends Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum, and Moe Sedway, El Cortez takes great pride in preserving the vintage appeal and rich history visitors expect. The latest $20 million expansion also features 10,000 square feet of casino space, including a new high-limit lounge and a Starbucks® coffee shop. The expansion project led by the McCarthy Building
Companies JIVE Architecture, YESCO, and Kenneth Ussenko Design were executed in coordination with IKE Gaming, Inc. For more information on El Cortez Hotel & Casino, please visit
www.elcortezhotelcasino.com [4].
ABOUT EL CORTEZ HOTEL & CASINO
El Cortez Hotel & Casino is a family-owned and operated casino and one of the oldest and most treasured hotels in Las Vegas. It is located in the heart of the Fremont East Entertainment District, an area
known for its resurgence and influx of unique restaurants, bars, and nightlife. El Cortez has undergone several renovations, with the most recent revamp culminating in 2025, but it keeps the spirit of classic Vegas alive through its Spanish Colonial Revival-style architecture, Original 47 rooms, and coin-operated games on the casino floor. In 2013, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it the only
standing casino on the list.
