Primm was a cheap, beloved Vegas alternative. Then new California casinos killed it
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Once upon a time, Primm, Nev., had three bustling casino resorts, shiny gas stations, a roller coaster and Bonnie and Clyde’s “death car.” It was a bit surreal, said former visitor John Honell of West Covina: “You had this whole complex in the middle of the desert.” Southern Californians traveling the arid stretches of the I-15 would see Primm pop up.As he drove to Sin City for bowling tournaments, Honell would stop and “drop a few coins” into the slot machines.
It was a gambling oasis — a little less flashy and a little more affordable than Vegas and 45 minutes closer.“I guess it worked for a while,” said Honell, 85.But it works no longer.
The last of the three casino resorts will close on July 4, owner Affinity Gaming confirmed to The Times this week.Honell, a regular in the 1970s, saw the growth of a desert gamble: the expansion of the Primm property, in the dusty town once known as State Line, from Whiskey Pete’s gas station, bar and slot machines into three busy resorts.The Nevada gambling hub south of Las Vegas along the 15 Freeway appears finished, though.Southern Californians who appreciated that it was a shorter drive now can find gambling much closer, at tribal casinos.
California Primm Valley Casino Resorts, the last full-time casino in Primm, on the California-Nevada border, is permanently closing.Primm Valley was the last of three operating casino resorts in the town.Las Vegas insider publication Las Vegas Locally posted a termination letter from Affinity Gaming’s affiliate, Primadonna Co.
LLC, to employees who worked at Primm Valley.With the casino closing down July 4, all employment will end that day too.Affinity Gaming declined to make an official comment.The castle-shaped Whiskey Pete’s opened in 1977, followed by Primm Valley in 1990 and Buffalo Bill’s in 1994.Whiskey Pete’s was the first casino to close, in December 2024.
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