According to a 2021 poll conducted by the global public opinion and data company YouGov, 41% of Americans surveyed said they believe in ghosts, and 43% are sure that demons are real. The research also showed that education level impacts people’s propensity to accept the existence of paranormal phenomena. Moreover, on average, women are more inclined to think that things from beyond roam our physical world.
Even in this day and age, these statistics should come as no surprise. That is so because eminent scientists, such as David Zahn, a professor of psychology and the director of the Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research, state that the brain releases dopamine in thrilling situations, which is an essential component of reward-motivated behavior. Thus, it is fun to get scared. Dopamine also gets released when people gamble, at the same levels in some individuals as when they partake in drug use. So, the combo of playing games of chance in haunted establishments could be a combination that is too much for some people to handle chemically. These individuals should stick to casino games that can also get found online. Yet, those living or visiting the US who wish to experience the exhilaration of betting in a venue with reported ghost sightings should make the trip to one of the listed spots below.
Bullock Hotel & Casino
Deadwood, the county seat of Lawrence County in South Dakota, is one of the US towns most associated with the Wild West. It got famous during the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1876 to 1879, when it got visited by personalities like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Wyatt Earp. It again increased through pop culture via the HBO show of the same name in modern times. The acclaimed series’ title character was Seth Bullock, Deadwood’s real-life historical sheriff, who built the Bullock Hotel in 1895.
Despite popular belief, Seth Bullock did not die in his hotel, but in his home, at Van Buren Street. Still, legend has it that many of the locals’ staff and visitors have seen or felt Bullock’s presence inside the hotel, featured in a 2015 episode of Ghost Adventures. The Bullock Hotel can be found at 633 Main Street in Deadwood. It offers a decent range of modern slot machines.
Whiskey Pete’s
Whiskey Pete’s is a Primm Valley’s Resorts owned and run by Affinity Gaming. It got up and running in 1977, featuring an Old West theme, named after a local gas station owner, Pete MacIntyre, who had to resort to bootlegging to make ends meet. His legendary exploits made him a notable figure in the area and part of its folklore. Parties interested in gambling at this establishment which boasts a sportsbook, and four restaurants, can find it at 100 Primm Boulevard.
The casino was built near MacIntyre’s old service station, and many claim that he watches over the building, appearing to visitors and staff from time to time, placing empty gas cans throughout the hotel.
The Luxor
When people think of Vegas casinos, the Luxor is not among the first batch of names that come to mind. Nevertheless, this spot, named after an ancient Egyptian city, located on the end of the Strip at 3900 South Las Vegas Boulevard, has been active since 1993. Its hotel features 4,407 rooms, and its gaming space sprawls 120,000 square feet, hosting over two thousand slots and eighty-seven table games.
The reason why the world’s third-largest pyramid structure is on this list is the unusual number of deaths that have been recorded at this resort. In 1996, a prostitute fell to her death from its 26th floor, and there is evidence that another guest committed suicide by jumping from Luxor’s 10th floor. In 2007, an employee got killed by a homemade bomb on this property, and five years later, another one got murdered in the casino lobby. Other deaths here include UNLV player Demario Reynolds losing his life when trying to intervene in a fight and an airman falling down an elevator shaft. These events and a few others have led many to believe that something is wrong with the Luxor Hotel & Casino.
Colorado Grande Casino
Cripple Creek, Colorado, is a former mining camp that became a National Historic landmark in 1961. The Grande is the region’s most famous hotel located on 300 East Bennett Avenue. It only has seven rooms to rent but offers a restaurant, coffee bar, and casino-style gaming under one roof. That makes it a bustling location for locals and tourists.
Many ghost hunters from across the US have visited this establishment owing to the creepy lore that it gets haunted by a turn-of-the-century Irish woman named Maggie, who makes glasses fly through the air and smells of roses.
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