Spooky Season is well and truly upon us, and what is spookier than a good old ghost story? Well, America’s gambling capital offers more than just craps, blackjack, and keno. With a long and eventful history involving the mob, murders, and even tragic fires, it is no surprise that many supernatural visitors have chosen to haunt casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.
Las Vegas has it all if you’re looking for a chance to contact the other side
As we look forwards to Halloween, VegasSlotsOnline News has dug through the paranormal history books to list the most interesting tales of haunting from Sin City. From ghosts of old mobsters to dead construction workers, Las Vegas has it all if you’re looking for a chance to contact the other side.
Take a look at our list of the most haunted casinos below.
The Horseshoe
Behind its many rebrands, the Horseshoe Las Vegas has a dark history steeped in tragedy.
In 1980, the Strip casino was named the MGM Grand Resorts. It was during this time that a fire engulfed one of the property’s hotel towers. It was a tragic event that caused the death of 87 people. Four of the victims died in the flames, while the rest met their end due to smoke inhalation as it traveled through the air ducts and stairwell.
Many believe MGM Resorts International could have prevented the incident had the owner invested in a suitable fire alarm system. It caused a lot of issues for the company, and the casino-hotel laid dormant for the next five years as a result, while families of the victims received between $70m and $220m in total reparations.
That property changed hands to Bally’s Corporation, which most recently rebranded the casino again to Horseshoe Las Vegas in December 2022.
an elderly woman playing slots, whose dress engulfs in flames
Since the tragic events of 1980, many guests have reported strange goings on at the property. Within the refurbished North Tower, guests have complained of screams coming from the hallways and the smell of smoke permeating through the air ducts. In one of the spookiest accounts, witnesses have claimed to see an elderly woman playing slots, whose dress engulfs in flames.
The Luxor
The Luxor Resort is a popular destination for tourists visiting Las Vegas. It’s an MGM-owned property that plays an important role in the city’s famous skyline, given its unique pyramid shape. But many believe it is this design that contributes to an evil energy lurking within.
Strange occurrences have been reported by visitors to the property since construction began in 1992 at the hands of Circus Circus Enterprises. The 30-story pyramid cost $375m and is based on an Egyptian pyramid, with Egyptologists on site to help oversee the theme and ensure it authenticity throughout the build.
Rumor has it the design is a little too authentic, however. It is thought that the black exterior in tandem with the missing sacred eye on the top of the pyramid attracts a dark energy to the hotel. Many deaths have occurred at the property, beginning with multiple construction workers. Two guests jumped to their deaths from interior balconies, and a Legionella bacteria outbreak killed one other.
they saw ghosts within the dark tunnels on the ride
Ghostly sightings have been reported too, including moving objects and apparitions on balconies. This was never more common than during the first three years of the hotel’s opening when the Nile River ride was still in operation. Guests said they saw ghosts within the dark tunnels on the ride. The attraction was subsequently shut down and the canals drained.
The Flamingo
The Flamingo Resort & Casino is one of the oldest properties on the Las Vegas Strip. Constructed nearly 80 years ago, it has a dark history that centers around the mob, which at one point had a firm hold on operations across the gambling hub.
Iconic mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was the man behind the building of the Flamingo in 1945. He set up shop in Sin City after building a criminal empire though bootlegging, gambling, and ruthless assassinations. He built it with assistance from the Eastern crime syndicate, with costs surpassing $6m.
He was gunned down in Beverley Hills in 1947
Sadly, for Siegel, his Las Vegas venture wouldn’t last long – for him anyway. He was gunned down in Beverley Hills in 1947, and a representative for the Eastern mob quickly announced a takeover of the Flamingo Hotel. The general consensus is that Siegel was murdered on orders from the syndicate.
Perhaps Siegel’s soul feels aggrieved by this betrayal, because many Flamingo guests have reported seeing the mobster haunting the property. His spirit has been sighted in the wedding chapel, at his garden memorial, and roaming around the Presidential Suite. Guests of this suite have complained of whispering in the room and seeing dark shadows looming at the foot of the bed.
The Westgate
Our next ghostly destination is the Westgate Resort Hotel and Casino. In 1969, this was known as the International Hotel, and it was the largest hotel and casino in the world. It was during this time that the property signed Elvis Presley for a long string of shows to be performed at its International Theater over seven years.
The King of Rock and Roll performed his last show there on December 1976. Several months later in the summer of 1977, he was found dead on his Graceland estate in Tennessee at the age of just 42.
Many believe that Elvis never left the building, including one of the star’s friends, Wayne Newton. Singer and actor Newton was also a Las Vegas performer, and upon Elvis’ death the International asked him to put on a show to honor his late friend. During one of those shows, Newton claims he saw Elvis appear on a balcony – an experience he claims was one of the best of his life.
sightings of the musician on the casino floor, in the hallways of the upper floors, and in the Tuscany villa
Newton isn’t the only person to claim they have seen Elvis at the property. Employees and guests have reported sightings of the musician on the casino floor, in the hallways of the upper floors, and in the Tuscany villa, which is otherwise known as the Elvis suite as it is where he and his cohort would stay. People staying in the villa claim to hear his music and feel his presence.
The Venetian
The final stop on our ghost tour takes us to The Venetian Las Vegas. The iconic venue is turning 25 years old this year, and it is going through some serious renovations courtesy of owner VICI Properties. However, it is doubtful those renovations will do much to chase out the ghostly apparitions that have haunted the property for decades.
Many believe that the haunting traces back to the Sands Hotel and Casino. This was the property located on the Venetian site from 1952 right up to its destruction in 1996. This hotel-casino was the favorite haunt of the Rat Pack, a group of musicians that included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.
one was crushed by an eight-ton-wall, and another fell down a 30-story elevator shaft
Many believe the Rat Pack are not best pleased that their favorite joint was destroyed to make way for an outlandish property with gondolas. During the building of the Venetian in the late 90s, multiple workers were injured or even lost their lives. In two particularly gruesome stories, one was crushed by an eight-ton-wall, and another fell down a 30-story elevator shaft. According to one story, one worker was trapped between walls during the construction. He suffered a slow death over multiple days as he cried out for help, but no one was able to save him.
Another theory is that the ghost of rapper Tupac Shakur haunts the property, given that he was killed close to the Venetian in 1996. They have still never determined who carried out the drive-by shooting.
FAQs
Which is the most haunted Las Vegas casino?
Ghost hunters debate which of the Las Vegas casinos is the most haunted. Given that 87 people died there in recent history however, many agree that the Horseshoe is the most likely to harbor the most tortured souls. The Luxor has a substantially high number of suicides, murders, and unexplained deaths though.
What other properties in Las Vegas are haunted?
There are several other non-casino properties across Las Vegas that are famous for their ghostly dwellers. The Apache Hotel in downtown Las Vegas is known as the most-haunted hotel in the area. Employees and guests have reported hearing voices, seeing shadows, and noticing objects have moved around their rooms.
What are the best halloween-themed slots?
If we haven’t satisfied your need for the paranormal, you can take a look at our collection of Halloween-themed online slots. The collection includes Lucky Halloween by Red Tiger Gaming, The Haunted Horseman by High 5 Games, and Day of the Dead by Pragmatic Play.