What's happening at Luxor casino?

Famed for its unique pyramidal shape and for the extravagant Ancient Egyptian stylings that make up much of its interior, the Luxor Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is one of the most recognizable venues anywhere in the world. Easily identifiable by the incredible beam of light that shoots out of the tip of the pyramid, this iconic establishment is home to a huge gaming floor as well as multiple entertainment and hospitality options guaranteed to suit every type of clientele. Of more interest, however, is Luxor’s reputation as Las Vegas’ most haunted casino. With several mysterious and unfortunate deaths occurring throughout its history, as well as numerous supposed paranormal sightings, let’s take a closer look at what’s been happening at Luxor Casino.

Suspicious goings on at the casino are said to have started even before construction on the complex had been completed. Part of a wave of mega casino developments undertaken by MGM Resorts during the early 1990s, construction began on the $375 million venue in March 1992 before being completed in October 1993. While a total build time of only 18 months appears impressive on the face of it, this may be where things started to go topsy-turvy for the casino resort. Whether corners were cut or certain safety regulations were ignored in order to speed up the project, it is reported that several construction workers, unfortunately, lost their lives during the building’s construction. What’s more, it is suggested in some circles that those in charge kept these tragic deaths a secret to maintain the as-yet-unopened casino’s positive reputation. While the truth of this remains uncertain, many guests in subsequent years have reported seeing the ghosts of the killed construction workers parading the hallways of the complex, seeking justice for their untimely departures.

Around four years after the grand opening of the esteemed Luxor Hotel & Casino, an article in the Las Vegas Sun reported the unfortunate suicide of a woman in her 30s after jumping from her 26th-floor hotel room. Due to the nature of the complex’s design, balconies at the Luxor open out into the internal atrium as opposed to the external facade of the building. This meant that the woman landed in the food court buffet, where she was pronounced dead. Reporters have never identified the woman, and her reasons for jumping remain a mystery to this day. Sometime later, another guest is also believed to have fallen to their death, this time from the 10^th floor, where, once again, their motives were steeped in mystery. With suicide not an uncommon cause of death in the US, it might not be surprising that Luxor is the scene of two possible suicides in its time. However, the question marks surrounding both events still leave many uneasy.

What’s perhaps even more intriguing are the events that took place in 2007, which sadly led to the death of 24-year-old casino worker Willebaldo Dorante Antonio. Walking back to his car in the Luxor resort parking lot, Willebaldo noticed an upturned coffee cup on the top of his car. Upon turning the cup, he triggered the pipe bomb concealed within, exploding and killing him in the process. Another man, Porfirio Duarte-Herrara, was eventually convicted of the crime; however, the eerie nature of Willebaldo’s death continues to send shivers down people’s spines.

This is not the only gruesome murder that has taken place at the Luxor either, with several other spooky deaths at Luxor taking place. In October 1997, 16-year-old Sara Gruber was found strangled to death in a Luxor hotel room, while in 2012, another casino employee was murdered by their partner in the hotel lobby. The most high-profile death to take place at the Luxor, however, was in 2010, when an altercation between a former football player and an MMA fighter resulted in the fatal assault of the former, who never woke up from his injuries. Despite this, the court case later claimed the football player died from an overdose rather than from the injuries he sustained – adding even more confusion to the affair.

The ghosts of the killed construction workers are not the only paranormal characters supposedly sighted over the course of the casino’s haunted history. A female ghost known to Luxor staff as the Deadly Blonde has been frequently reported by guests in multiple rooms across the complex. What’s more, while the motives for her spooky behavior are unknown, several of her victims have recalled waking up to the feeling of the ghost with her hands around their necks. This has led some to theorize that this may be the undead spirit of Sara Gruber, who was infamously strangled to death in 1997. Another section of the casino where guests have supposedly witnessed mysterious figures is in the Titanic artifacts exhibition following its opening back in 2008. Home to over 250 genuine artifacts from the notorious sunken ship, including multiple personal items, it has been said that the ghosts of the forsaken passengers frequent the halls of the exhibition space.

While there is no doubting the eerie goings-on that has taken place at the Luxor, working out why such strange events have happened is another question completely. A leading theory suggests that an Ancient Egyptian curse may have been put upon the casino due to its appropriation of Egyptian stylings and culture. There is a long history of superstition and paranormal activities surrounding Ancient Egypt, and some conspiracists claim inaccurate details in the casino’s design may have resulted in negative energy encompassing the complex. Notably, the pyramids of Giza possess a Sphinx both in front and behind to guard against evil spirits, whereas Luxor’s pyramid has only one. Whether this is the reason for such unfortunate events or not, make sure to think twice before booking in for a night at the Luxor.