The INSANE Dark History of the Circus Circus Hotel in Las Vegas VLOG

Don't let the big top fool you. Well, today Circus Circus may be seen as a family and budget-friendly resort in Sin City. When the themed hotel opened in 1968, it was made for grown-ups. At the time, an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal stated that the huge casino will have numerous circus acts performing around the cavernous room, trapeze, and high-wire acts performing over the heads of gamblers and bevies of showgirls dancing and singing throughout. Circus Circus had peep shows, a knock-the-girl-out-of-bed game, both of which featured topless women, real circus animals like an elephant, and there was even a slide for tipsy gamblers to ride from the midway to the gaming floor. Circus Circus has one interesting history, from its dangerous ties to the mob and even shocking deaths that have started rumors of the hotel being haunted. Join us as we tour the one-of-a-kind Circus Circus Hotel and talk about its unique and even shocking history that you might not know. Today, the Las Vegas hotel known as Circus Circus is one of 11 properties owned by MGM Resorts. And while it's began to show some wear and tear over the years, it continues to be one of the most profitable hotels in the city and a much more affordable alternative than some of the other higher-end resort options. Over 50 years ago, Circus Circus was the brainchild of Jay Sarno, a man who had imprinted his name on Vegas a few years earlier with the opening of the Roman-themed Caesar's Palace. This highly creative casino developer decided that for his next trick, he'd create a spot that gave entire families a reason to vacation together in Vegas. While most other casino operators saw little value in creating a family-friendly environment, Sarno recognized that if he did something no one else was, then he stood to gain a lot from not having any competition. He wasn't wrong, but things didn't exactly go according to plan at first. More than 10,000 people were on hand in October of 1968 when Circus Circus opened its doors for the first time as a casino. Sarno even dressed as a ringmaster, dressing for the part in a top hat and tails, but the hotel was far from an immediate success. Sarno thought his casino would prove to be so enticing that a hotel on the premises would be unnecessary. Well, he was wrong. Complicating matters further, Sarno charged different rates for different people. If you were a local, all you had to pay was $1 to enter the premises, but if you were an out-of-towner, that amount was doubled. Then there was the intermingling of the trapeze acts and carnival games on the casino floor, which mostly just served to annoy prospective gamblers. All in all, it was a debacle. People were coming through the doors, but Sarno wasn't making money. His creditors were on him, and the Nevada Gaming Commission was even threatening to pull his license. Faced with the real possibility having to close the place down, Sarno finally pursued the idea of building a hotel, by taking on a $7.6 million loan from the mob to build his 414-room hotel. Unfortunately, Sarno effectively made a deal with the devil, and Circus Circus was beholden to the mafia. Notorious gangster Tony Spilotro even owned and operated a gift shop on the premises. Facing a possible criminal indictment, Sarno gave up his lease on the casino and hotel to two up-and-coming casino managers, Bill Bennett and Bill Pennington, in May 1974. From that point on, Circus Circus became a very different place. Under its new leadership, the casino was remodeled to separate the gamblers from the circus acts, bargain room rates were established, and the latest in slot machine technology was installed. Then they kicked the mob out. A little less than 10 years later, they bought the entire business from Sarno for $72 million. Then they kicked him out too. Bennett and Pennington would eventually go on to sell this property to MGM in 2005. In terms of the rumors that Circus Circus is haunted, well, some say that this wholesome vacation spot is full of paranormal activity. Guests of the hotel and casino have been long reporting strange sounds, moving objects, and even wandering spirits. Apparently, over its many years, Circus Circus has been the site of some very shocking crimes, the latest of which happened on June 1st, 2018, when two people were found dead in their hotel room, more specifically, victims of a murder. Two guests who were sharing a room, and when they failed to show, the other members of the group became concerned. A male and female deceased from apparent stab wounds. The male can be seen entering an elevator just after 4 a.m., riding up to the top floor, then getting back on the elevator at approximately 4.45 a.m. Our preliminary investigation did not indicate that any force was used to enter the room. The Vietnamese couple who were visiting the casino on vacation, had been brutally stabbed during what turned out to be a robbery gone wrong. And the scary stories don't end there. Many years ago, in room 123, it was said that a mother and her young son were found dead from an apparent murder-suicide. Now, loud screams and a child's plea for help can be heard coming from that room, and the hallways surrounding it. And the words, help me, have appeared on numerous occasions across the bathroom mirrors. Staff have seen him time and time again, wandering the halls on the first floor, crying out and begging for help. But who knows, it could always be nothing more than a ghost story, and these rumors don't stop Circus Circus from attracting multitudes of guests from all around the world. Today, the establishment has more than 3,700 rooms, as well as an indoor amusement park known as Adventure Dome. And while it might be the most bare bones of all the MGM properties, it continues to yield the steadiest profits. As recently as 2015, the Las Vegas Review-Journal determined that the hotel was operating at a $70 million surplus a year. This incredible notoriety has led to countless pop culture moments, including appearances in films like Austin Powers, Diamonds Are Forever, and as one of the primary locations in fear and loathing in Las Vegas, where it sends Hunter S. Thompson, played by Johnny Depp, into a tailspin the likes of which has seldom been seen before or since. So, while few people might've believed that Circus Circus would still be here going strong after its nearly failed start more than 50 years later, it remains a Las Vegas institution well worth checking out.