If you live in Southern Nevada, you've probably driven past Primm many times. It sits right on the Nevada-California border along I-15, about 40 miles south of Las Vegas.
For decades, it was the first splash of neon you'd see rolling into Nevada. Now, thanks to a very Nevada kind of deal — two families shaking hands and getting to work — it might just survive.
How It All Started
Primm got its start in the 1950s when Ernest Primm built a small motel and coffee shop at what was then called State Line. His son, Gary, turned that humble roadside stop into something much bigger. Gary developed the Primadonna Casino there in the mid-1970s, and after his father passed in 1981, he took over the family business.
By the 1990s, Primm was a destination. Three casino resorts lined the interstate — Whiskey Pete's, Primm Valley Resort, and Buffalo Bill's — all connected by a monorail over the interstate.
Buffalo Bill's was built to be more than a casino. It was a theme park rolled into one. The Desperado roller coaster stood 209 feet tall, hit 80 mph, and held the Guinness World Record as the world's tallest roller coaster in 1996. Riders loaded inside the casino, shot up through the roof, and flew over the desert.
The Adventure Canyon Log Flume ran right through the casino floor — riders used electronic guns to shoot at animatronic outlaws as they floated through Old West scenes.
Kids dragged their parents there. Parents went willingly. It was quirky. It was fun. It was Nevada.
Then things went sideways. MGM Grand acquired the properties in 1999, and they were later sold to Herbst Gaming — now known as Affinity Gaming — in 2007. The new owners slowly stripped away the things that made Primm worth stopping for.
“They gradually kept subtracting amenities, and the product was allowed to get beaten up,” said gaming reporter David McKee.
“There was just less and less and less of a reason to go to Primm.”
COVID finished what neglect started.
The Desperado shut down in February 2020 when the pandemic hit and never reopened. The log flume went with it. By late 2024, the coaster's signage had been removed and its entrance blocked off by arcade games.
Whiskey Pete's — the original casino, with the Bonnie and Clyde death car in the lobby — closed in December 2024.
Buffalo Bill's, the big one with the roller coaster, shut its doors in July 2025. The outlet mall that once drew shoppers from both states is now mostly empty, populated mainly by YouTube live streamers.
What used to be a destination became a rest stop: gas, bathroom, or a lottery ticket.
Nevada's constitution bans a state lottery, so Nevadans make the 40-minute drive down I-15 just to buy a Powerball ticket at The Lotto Store just over the California line. That store was ranked the number one lottery outlet in all of California. When jackpots hit a billion dollars, the line wraps around the building.
Then back on the road.
The Near-Death Experience
On May 5, Affinity confirmed the closure of Primm Valley Casino Resorts, sending termination notices to more than 300 employees effective July 4. That's a gut punch no matter how you look at it.
“It felt like a gut punch,” said Cory Clemetson, grandson of founder Ernie Primm and president of Primm South Real Estate Company.
“I mean, you've got to be kidding me that they would announce something like that for the Fourth of July. Laying off in excess of 300 Nevadans who are mostly paycheck to paycheck with nowhere to go didn't sit well with my family.”
Affinity's CEO offered a simple explanation.
“As a tenant with a difficult lease and an expensive property and increased competition every day in California … it just became a very difficult thing,” said Scott Butera.
“We've been losing money for years there.”
Nevadans Step Up
Here's where the story turns. The Primm family didn't sit around waiting for a government bailout. They went out and found a partner. That partner is Terrible's — owned by the Herbst family, the same folks behind those familiar gas stations and convenience stores all over Nevada.
This week, the Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously approved the licenses.
Timothy Herbst, president and CEO of Terrible Herbst, summed it up simply.
“We had handshakes, hugs. Kisses on the cheek and tears of joy,” he said.
“It's up to us to provide them with meaningful jobs. It all comes to Nevadans helping Nevadans.”
Herbst said the company has already onboarded 300 employees, with more expected over the next several days. Gas stations are the priority.
“We're going to try to get them open July 1st. That's what our company does: we can probably ‘plug and play' and get those things open for the holiday weekend,” Herbst told Fox5.
Clemetson was relieved:
“We feel so relieved and at the same time thrilled. Where we started 60 days ago to where we are today is a monumental accomplishment,” he said.
Why Conservatives Should Care
This story matters because it's the kind of story that barely gets told. Two private families — not a government agency, not a taxpayer-funded rescue package — figured out how to save jobs, keep a community alive, and do it fast.
The Gaming Commission moved quickly and got out of the way. That's government working like it should.
Herbst noted that Primm handles roughly 50,000 travelers a day.
“It's the gateway to Las Vegas,” he said, “and the worst thing in the world would be for it to be shut down.”
What's Ahead
Not everyone is optimistic. Gaming reporter David McKee told KNPR's State of Nevada:
“It's a business model that is all but doomed to failure.”
He's not alone in his skepticism. The outlet mall is nearly empty. Two of the three casinos are still dark.
But there's a longer-term reason for hope. A Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport is on track to open near Primm by 2037 and is expected to handle up to 35 million travelers a year. That changes the math significantly.
Clemetson isn't sweating the doubters.
“We believe Primm's best days are still ahead,” he said.
For now, the lights are staying on. The gas stations will be open for the holiday weekend. And a few hundred Nevada families still have jobs. Private enterprise did that, not a government program.
That's something worth celebrating.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed
