Casino only:
Cheap. El Cortez has $0.25 roulette. It has $3 blackjack. It has $0.05 slots. It's a cheap place.
It is full of old people, true. It is also full of crazies, to some degree. But it's an old Vegas place. It feels like old Vegas.
I found the dealers to be friendly enough (though more reserved than other places, I agree).
And yes, the bathrooms are horrific.
But this is a great place. It's definitely worth checking out.