The Most Haunted Casinos in the World

Phantoms of the Casinos

If you visit Las Vegas as a tourist, you'll find there are cheerful tour guides who will show you the most haunted casinos in Sin City and fill you in on their macabre background stories. This is thanks to the fact that over the last few years there have been an increasing number of reported sightings of ghostly apparitions.

Today, we decided to take a look at the most haunted casinos in the world. You probably won't be surprised to learn that the majority of these are in the world’s gambling capital, Las Vegas. With a dark history of mafia-related crimes, and apparently, an untold number of bodies buried in the Nevada Desert, there’s bound to be the spirit of some unhappy gambler who has returned to gloomily loiter around the gaming halls of the city that never sleeps, upset that their game ended all too early.

The Great MGM Casino Fire

On November 21st 1980, the MGM Grand Casino caught fire. As acrid smoke filled the building, desperate hotel guests took to jumping from the windows when they realised that the firefighters would be unable to rescue them. Over 80 people lost their lives as the building was engulfed in flames. After the fire, the MGM Grand was demolished and in its place, the Bally's Resort and Casino was built.

It is said that the wretched spirits of the people who lost their lives on that fateful day still stalk the hall and rooms of Baileys. They're said to haunt the higher floors of 19 through 24 in the North Tower. Many have reported seeing strange ghost-like apparitions walking through these upper levels.

Bugsy Siegel Can’t Leave the Flamingo

In many ways, you can thank the foresight of the mobster Bugsy Siegel, who played an essential role in turning a sleepy Nevada town into one of the world's best-known entertainment capitals. His first major venture was the Flamingo Casino. In 1947, Siegel was gunned down and killed. Today, you'll find many gamblers who believe that he still walks the corridors of the hotel-casino he first developed.

In fact, you can find many employees and guests claiming to have witnessed the ghost of Siegel either in the Presidential Suite or by the pool. It is said that a cleaning lady quit her job after meeting the ghostly gangster during one of her night shifts.

The Spectral Mask

The Tropicana Casino has also witnessed many events that could be considered bordering on the paranormal. Some years ago, the entrance of the resort was guarded by a huge wooden Tiki mask. This old relic was said to contain a spirit trapped in purgatory. Some of the guests who touched it went on to claim that they developed nasty-looking purple rashes.

Some tourists also stated that when they were photographed in front of the mask, it appeared as though it was emitting a strange purple light. So much so, that the rays obscured and blurred the image. In a no-win decision, the Tropicana MGM eventually removed the mask. This reaction led many to believe that there was truth in the initial rumours of the mask containing some eerie supernatural force.

Bizarre Happenings at the Luxor

As you're probably aware, the theme of the Luxor Casino is the symbolism of Ancient Egypt. It is said that these carry mystical meanings, with many players believing that the building offers a resting place for wandering lost spirits to inhabit. This idea has been reinforced by various unexplained events that have taken place over the years. Thanks to these unusual and unexplained occurrences at the Luxor, some believe there are dark and unearthly forces at work within the building itself.

In 1993, when construction was taking place, there was a spate of freak accidents. In another incident, a worker murdered one of his colleagues. Some years later, a number of guests jumped to their deaths from the balconies. A young man was killed in the casino parking garage by a car bomb in 2006. These incidents, though they are probably part and parcel of the life in the city that never sleeps, nevertheless, were added to the ever-growing catalogue of bizarre events said to be caused by supernatural forces.

A Helpful Hand from the Dead

If you take these happenings at face value, it’s hard not to believe that ghosts and phantom players are stalking the gaming rooms and halls of their favourite casinos. We like to think of them as being benevolent and maybe lending a supernatural hand to help gamblers reach the dreams that were impossible for these spectral beings to meet in their own short lives.

We suggest that if you're gambling in any of these casinos, you shouldn't be giving too much thought to use your lucky numbers or clutching at the lucky rabbit's foot in your pocket as you bet. Maybe you should let the invisible pallid hands of those who preferred the lights of Vegas to the lights of salvation steer your good fortune.