UPDATE: The Primm family has announced that Terrible’s, run by the Herbst family, has agreed to take over operations in Primm. The Primm and Herbst families said in a press release they will be “doing everything possible” to prevent the currently operating Primm Valley Casino Resort, Oasis Apartments, The Lotto Store and related properties at Primm from closing by July 4.
Affinity Gaming announced that it will close Primm Valley Resort, the last casino in the market along Interstate 15 on the Nevada side of the California border. The company will also shutter the California Lottery store, a gas station, a truck stop, and a coffee shop. This will all occur on or before July 4, 2026.
A handful of other businesses operate in Primm that are not part of Affinity Gaming. That includes an unmanned gas station, five fast food restaurants, and a thrift store. However, those businesses will be greatly affected by the casino’s demise.
Primm has one residential area. It is an apartment complex with over 400 units. Residents report it is about two-thirds occupied. Around 750 people live there.
Affinity Gaming operates the apartments. It is employee housing for all of Primm, not just the casinos. Residents have until July 6, 2026, to vacate the premises. All leases will be voided. Fast-food employees working for other companies also live there, making it challenging to remain open when there is nowhere to live.
Many Primm residents do not have cars. It is about 30 miles to the south end of the Las Vegas valley. Most remaining jobs do not pay enough to justify the commute, even if the employee has a car. That is why the other businesses will be affected.
How Primm Got Here
Primm, once known as State Line, started last century as a small slot hall and gas station. In 1977, the first parts of Whiskey Pete’s were built. It later became a resort with a hotel. In its earliest years, Whiskey Pete’s only had access on one side of Interstate 15. Those driving up from California were forced to drive up to Jean, make two left turns, and take the highway back to State Line. A bridge was built when the other side of the highway developed.
Primm Valley Resort opened across the interstate in 1990. The property was originally named Primadonna Resort & Casino before becoming Primm Valley Resort. It was called Terrible’s Resort & Casino for a few years before returning to Primm Valley Resort.
Buffalo Bill’s followed in 1994. This gave Primm around 2600 hotel rooms at its peak, about half of which were at Buffalo Bill’s.
Primm boomed during the ‘90s into the early and mid-2000s. However, California tribal gaming was getting off the ground near the turn of the century. As tribes generated more gaming revenue, they expanded existing facilities. Over the years, several Southern California casinos became full resorts comparable to those found in Las Vegas.
Primm started to lose its edge, but still had a draw. Regular concerts at the Star of the Desert arena and the amusement park, both at Buffalo Bill’s, kept guests returning.
The Great Recession was the next blow. It caused Herbst Gaming, Primm’s operator at the time, to fall into bankruptcy. Affinity Gaming took over operations.
Primm limped along during the 2010s. As amenities broke, like the tram system that connected all three casinos, and the amusement rides, they were left to rot. The movie theater closed. An outlet mall connected to Primm Valley Resort, which was owned by a different company, lost nearly all its tenants.
Activities that made Primm fun were disappearing, and it was becoming a town where people made a pitstop, not a destination. Visitation dropped during the 2010s, and gambling became the last main activity.
After COVID, only Primm Valley Resort and Whiskey Pete’s reopened. Primm Valley Resort had the only open hotel. In 2022, Buffalo Bill’s reopened, and Primm Valley mostly closed, leaving only slots. Whiskey Pete’s closed in 2024. In 2025, Buffalo Bill’s closed, and the hotel and dining moved back to Primm Valley Resort.
What is Next for Primm?
Affinity Gaming considers Primm a cash and time drain, according to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The company says it tried to find a new operator, but could not. Primm casinos will close forever under the current structure, with three gaming properties, a gas station, and a truck stop on the same lease.
Local government leaders are looking for new operators for the gas station and truck stop. Reports indicate these are profitable but tied to an unprofitable lease. While the fuel options may reopen, it will not be without the same challenges that other businesses left behind will feel with less traffic and no town residents.
Barring a miracle, the most likely outcome is that Primm becomes almost totally abandoned. A few businesses may hang on. However, it will become mostly a ghost town with no residents, no gaming, buildings falling further into disrepair, and no reason to stop. That is a far cry from the boom Primm, known as State Line at the time, felt during the ‘90s.
Visited many times ‘back in the day’ and had great fun! Loved the roller coaster, the Primadonna ferris wheel, the log ride around Buffalo Bills… Sad to see it go!!
It definitely had some more unique features when it was fully operational!
I loved Stateline. Primm not so much. It fell into the same Vegas routine of raising prices eliminating the Howdy Pardner C’mon in have a cheap meal and stay a spell feeling that built Vegas. I can remember having a 99 cent cocktail that set me back $54 by the time I got back in the car.
It seemed like they were trying to revive some of that in the end (we drove by the billboard and saw some decent deal offerings) but it probably was too little, too late by then.
Won a Handpay, years ago at Buffalo Bill’s. We always had fun there and stopped in from time to time. We flew into San Diego for an event. Rented a car and drove to Las Vegas. It was dark when we stopped at Buffalo Bills. The entrance doors from the parking lot swung open again and closed after we were about 30 feet from them. It was kind of spooky.
It was certainly convenient for stopping! Made one last gas station stop on the way out last week :)