A block east of the Las Vegas Strip, Ellis Island is a family-run casino resort that is growing its gaming area. According to planning documents from Clark County, the expansion will add 6,415 square feet, which will include a new sportsbook and back-of-house space.

According to a statement from Christina Ellis, vice president of development at Ellis Island, "this renovation gives us the opportunity to create an elevated gaming and entertainment experience while honoring our history and legacy."

Though it shuttered its brewery in November 2022 to make way for the expansion, the facility is still legally branded as the Ellis Island Hotel, Casino & Brewery. The brewery had been in operation since 1993. At the time, the brewery was the biggest in Nevada, according to Scott Roeben, a blogger for Casino.org's Vital Vegas section.

In the end, Roeben stated, "the footprint of Ellis Island and its casino is simply too small to host a brewery." "It's a nice feature, but considering the space constraints, expanding the casino floor and adding a new restaurant would be a better course of action." 

It will likely take at least eight more months to complete the building.

Frank Ellis established Ellis Island as The Village Pub in 1967. The Ellis family, who still owns the Silver Reef Brewing Company in Utah, renamed their casino in Las Vegas in 1985 in response to the emergence of several Village Pubs in the area. 

Ellis Island had its first $12 million makeover and expansion in 1997, adding six new blackjack stations and doubling the number of slot machines to 410.

An adjacent Super 8 was annexed by Ellis Island in 2014, and in 2018 the rooms were remodeled.

Frank Ellis's son Gary Ellis and his wife Cindy are the owners of Ellis Island. Their daughter is Christina. VP of Operations Annamarie Ellis is her sister. Michaela Ellis, their sister, is in charge of HR.