In the mid-1990s Las Vegas made an ill-fated effort to market itself as a family destination.
That move made some sense, as the city does have a sort of overgrown-theme-park feel, In fact, the then-new MGM Grand casino/hotel had an actual amusement park built on its property to give kids something to do while their parents were gambling.
At the time, Las Vegas was feeling pressured as more areas of the U.S. offered legal gambling. The city responded by having the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority launch "an intensive advertising campaign aimed at families," ABC News reported.
"This whole advertising campaign for Vegas was to remove that barrier, so the husband would go, 'It's OK. They've got pools. They've got shopping. They've got food. They've got something to do with Junior,'" explained Anthony Curtis, a professional blackjack player who publishes the Las Vegas Advisor, a consumer newsletter.
Those efforts -- in a city where every hotel check-in has brochures about not abandoning your kids while you gamble -- did not work. That led the city to pivot back to embracing an adult audience, but not fully, as kids have remained welcome in nearly all of Las Vegas.
Now, two downtown casinos have decided that Sin City isn't for people too young to drink and gamble.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet.
Circa and El Cortez Go Adults Only
Fremont St. in recent years has been a grittier more adult Las Vegas. The street has live music in multiple places, as well as its fill of street performers including scantily clad showgirls, various shirtless Chippendales, and the Naked Cowboy (along with a selection of dirty Elmos and creepy kids characters).
Casinos in the area also offer more adult fare with The D having go-go dancers performing on its gaming floor while Binions, at least at the front of the house, offers barely dressed dealers wearing bustiers.
Despite the very adult vibe, most of Fremont St., including nearly all its casinos, still allow people under 21. Underage people, of course, can't gamble or drink, but they can take part in the rest of the festivities.
First, Circa, a Las-Vegas-Strip-style megacasino that opened during the pandemic, debuted as a 21-and-over property. You need to be 21 to enter the casino, hotel, and any of its restaurants.
Now, as of April 2022, El Cortez Hotel -- an iconic, classic Vegas property located downtown just off Fremont St., has decided to go adults-only as well.
Las Vegas Endlessly Innovates
In a city that's preparing to welcome a cannabis-friendly hotel, it's not surprising that a few properties would embrace an adults-only policy.
"While Las Vegas has grown and adapted to cater to all demographics, El Cortez remains a traditional gambling house with great gaming odds and an indescribable feeling of stepping back in time,” El Cortez General Manager Adam Wiesberg said, according to Casino.org. “El Cortez is the spot where adults have gathered to enjoy a cocktail or two and try their luck in the casino for over 80 years.”
The move comes after El Cortez completed a $25 million renovation.
"We do have to stay relevant and modern in technology and in design, especially in the hotel rooms, because people want that authentic, historic Las Vegas feel, but they also want to stay in an extremely comfortable room," Wiesberg told Travel Weekly.
"So we've done a great job of balancing that. Everything we do here is constantly paying homage to our roots, our history, the authenticity, the old-school Vegas vibe."
El Cortez also made some improvements to its casino as part of the renovation, but it was careful to preserve its old Vegas appeal.
"As more time goes by, one of the most common appeals of Las Vegas is the 'good old days.' You hear that all the time -- the 'good old days' were this, the 'good old days' were that. Well, if you really want the 'good old days,' we really do have it here on the floor," Wiesberg said.
