UPDATE: The situation is over at the Stratosphere and people are being allowed to go back inside. A spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told the press during a briefing that it was a backpack containing some type of medical devices that prompted the evacuation.

The Stratosphere issued a statement around 5 p.m. Wednesday

"This afternoon, we requested Metro’s assistance to investigate a suspicious piece of checked luggage at our bell desk. After their initial inspection we took the precaution of evacuating the area including the casino as the safety of our guests and employees is a primary concern. Working with Stratosphere Security, Metro was able to quickly determine that the luggage was not a threat and we returned to our normal operations. We thank Metro for their swift and professional response."

ORIGINAL STORY

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- Part of the Stratosphere hotel-casino has been evacuated because of a suspicious package.

Las Vegas police say that they received a call at 1:22 p.m. Wednesday. Roads, including Las Vegas Boulevard, have been closed in the immediate area.

Part of the casino has been evacuated. Police have not revealed the exact location of the package at this time.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.