A Haunting Opportunity: The El Cortez Ghost Hunter Challenge

The historic El Cortez Hotel & Casino, a timeless fixture of Las Vegas’s storied past, is offering brave souls a unique chance to earn $5,000 while exploring the paranormal side of Sin City. As the oldest hotel-casino in Las Vegas, the El Cortez stands as a living museum on Fremont Street—often called “the Old Strip” or “Old Vegas”—where the echoes of history still resonate through its vintage hallways. Now, in celebration of the Halloween season, this iconic establishment is searching for one courageous individual to investigate the supernatural phenomena that many believe haunt its 84-year-old walls. Since opening its doors in 1941, the El Cortez has witnessed the full spectrum of Vegas history—from mob dealings and mysterious deaths to unexplained occurrences that defy rational explanation. For longtime staff and observant guests, tales of phantom footsteps echoing down empty corridors and shadowy figures vanishing around corners have become almost commonplace, woven into the fabric of the hotel’s rich tapestry of stories.

The contest, which runs from October 6th through October 31st, will culminate in a weekend ghost-hunting adventure scheduled for early December. As described in the official listing from Casino.org, “We’re sending you to investigate, fully equipped with ghost-hunting gear, to see if the stories are true!” The selected participant will be granted exclusive access to some of the hotel’s oldest and most mysteriously active locations, armed with professional ghost-hunting equipment including EMF meters to detect electromagnetic field fluctuations, EVP recorders to capture potential spirit voices, and thermal sensors to identify unexpected cold spots or heat signatures. What makes this opportunity particularly thrilling is that much of the investigation will take place during the quietest hours of the night, when the boundary between our world and whatever might lie beyond seems most permeable.

The chosen ghost hunter’s responsibilities extend beyond simply wandering the premises. They’ll be tasked with documenting their entire experience, capturing photographic and video evidence of any unusual occurrences, and maintaining a journal detailing their most significant encounters—whether frightening, amusing, or simply bewildering. The contest organizers are particularly interested in fresh perspectives on the hotel’s longstanding reputation for paranormal activity. Among the most persistent rumors surrounding the El Cortez is the chilling claim that its basement contains the cremated remains of former employees who died without family connections, their ashes stored within the very foundation of the building they once served. Whether true or urban legend, such stories add an extra layer of emotional resonance to the ghost-hunting expedition.

This contest arrives at a time when Las Vegas continues to evolve as a destination, balancing its historic roots with increasingly premium experiences and prices. Recent visitors have expressed shock at the rising costs associated with even basic refreshments in today’s Vegas. Katherine from College Station, Texas, recently shared her surprise with Fox News Digital: “Having a coffee that was $14 was crazy. I just wasn’t expecting that. It was just a latte with a few extra flavors.” Her daughter Cammie echoed these sentiments, noting that even simple beverages like lemonade and water bottles have reached eyebrow-raising price points. Against this backdrop of luxury pricing, the $5,000 prize for a weekend of ghost hunting represents a particularly attractive opportunity for those with an interest in the paranormal.

The El Cortez itself stands as a fascinating contradiction in modern Las Vegas—a preserved piece of the city’s more gritty, authentic past amid the increasingly polished and corporate Strip. While newer resort complexes dominate the skyline with their gleaming facades and themed attractions, the El Cortez maintains much of its mid-century character, having been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. Its vintage casino floor, preserved iconic neon signage, and original architectural elements transport visitors to an era when mobsters like Bugsy Siegel (who once owned the property) shaped the destiny of the desert oasis. This historic authenticity makes it the perfect setting for supernatural investigation, as many paranormal experts believe that locations with rich, emotional histories—especially those involving tragedy or intense human experience—are most likely to harbor residual energies or active hauntings.

For the winner of this unusual contest, the experience promises to be more than just a chance to earn $5,000. It represents a rare opportunity to connect with Las Vegas’s colorful past in an intimate, possibly unsettling way. Whether the chosen ghost hunter encounters genuine evidence of the supernatural or simply enjoys a memorable weekend surrounded by the ambiance of vintage Vegas, they’ll be participating in the continuation of the El Cortez’s long tradition of storytelling. In a city built on spectacle and sensation, where reality often blurs with fantasy, this ghost-hunting adventure offers something increasingly rare—an authentic experience connecting visitors to the soul of old Las Vegas, where fortunes were made and lost, lives were transformed, and perhaps, where some spirits never quite managed to check out.