Tales of spirits returning from the dead to haunt the living have been told for centuries, so it’s no great surprise that there have been reports of ghostly sightings in top casinos all over the world. Many of these apparitions once walked the brightly lit halls of these top name venues and now they haunt the modern day players.
Now, we know it might sound ridiculous, but there have been several well-documented sightings of ghostly figures and random noises occurring in Las Vegas casinos. In fact, professional guides in Las Vegas offer tours of the city’s most haunted spots, including casinos. So, join us on a virtual trip to discover our top 5 most haunted casinos in Vegas…
#5 – Circus Circus, Las Vegas
This casino hotel is definitely one of the most popular in Vegas, if not the world, and many people flock there each year to stay at this hot spot. However, if the tales are to be believed, it’s one of the most haunted casinos on the strip.
Customers staying at Circus Circus have long recounted stories of eerie noises and strange occurrences taking place in the hallways or in their hotel rooms. Some people have reported hearing whispers of “help me” and even seeing these words written on a bathroom mirror. Sadly, several homicides have taken place there over the years, and it’s thought that this is the reason behind these spooky events.
#4 – Bally’s Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
This casino is built on the site of the second largest hotel fire ever in the USA. This tragedy occurred in 1980 at the original MGM Grand Resort, and 85 poor souls sadly lost their lives.
After the fire, the MGM Grand was rebuilt at a cost of $50 million, then after a few years, it was sold and renamed Bally’s in 1985. Guests who have stayed in the refurbished North Tower claim to have experienced the sound of coughing, weeping and screaming, as well as an overwhelming smell of smoke. It’s also said that there’s an old lady who haunts a bank of slot machines on the casino floor. She calmly plays two slot machines at once as her dress goes up in flames, and if anyone tries to approach her, she vanishes.
#3 – Luxor, Las Vegas
The design of the Luxor Casino means that the building is covered in ancient symbolism. This ancient symbolism is of course full of mystical meanings, so the whole place is perfect for spirits to inhabit.
There have been a number of unusual and unexplained incidents at the Luxor Casino, and this has made lots of people wonder if supernatural forces could be to blame.
During its construction in 1993, many of the workers were involved in a spate of freak accidents, and in one such accident, one of the men died. Later, in 2006, a car bomb killed a young man in the casino’s parking lot. These events could be the reason for the many ghostly sightings and strange goings on at the Luxor.
#2 – Flamingo, Las Vegas
The Flamingo in Las Vegas is one of the city’s icons, and it will be forever associated with one of the most infamous and feared gangsters of his day, Bugsy Siegel. Often described as handsome and charismatic, Bugsy Siegel became one of the first front page celebrity gangsters.
On the 20th June 1947, Siegel sat with his associate Allen Smiley at his Virginia Hill’s Beverly Hills home, quietly reading the Los Angeles Times. Siegel was assassinated, the assailant having fired at him through the window with a 30 calibre military M1 carbine, hitting him multiple times. No one was ever charged with Siegel’s murder and the crime remains officially unsolved. After his death, it seems that Bugsy Siegel has chosen the Flamingo Casino as the place he wants to spend his afterlife.
Many guests who’ve stayed at the Flamingo Hotel and hotel staff have come forward saying they have seen Siegel’s ghost hanging around the Presidential Suite or sometimes even lounging by the pool late at night. One cleaning lady quickly quit after allegedly encountering the mobster’s ghost during one of her shifts.
#1 – Tropicana, Las Vegas
The Tropicana in Las Vegas is said to be the setting for some decidedly odd and, some would say, paranormal events.
At the entrance to the resort there was once a large wooden tiki mask. This mystic relic was said to contain a trapped spirit, which has caused many of the guests who touched it to develop a nasty purple rash. Some people who have posed for photos with the tiki mask also noticed that there seemed to be a strange purple haze coming from the mask and blurring their photos.
The Tropicana management eventually decided to remove the mask, but this just stirred up even more rumours about the relic being possessed by an unknown entity.
In the end, these are all just stories, but who knows, maybe they’re true.
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