Primm’s Whiskey Pete’s casino is reportedly set to close by the end of the year. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Just south-southwest of Las Vegas on the Nevada-California border sits the town of Primm. As one might expect, this town in the middle of nowhere, straddling I-15, has based its economy on gambling. Unfortunately, continuing Primm’s multi-decade downward trend, that gambling economy is about to shrink.

According to Vital Vegas, Whiskey Pete’s, one of the three properties that make up the Primm Valley Casino Resorts, will close by the end of the year.

Whiskey Pete’s, which looks somewhat like a lower-budget version of Las Vegas’s Excalibur, was the first of the Primm Valley Resorts hotels, opening in 1977 with a lucky 777 hotel rooms. It is joined by the Primm Valley Resort & Casino (formerly the Primadonna Resort) and Buffalo Bill’s under the Primm Valley Resorts umbrella.

MGM acquired Primm Valley Resorts (then Primadonna Casino Resorts) in 1999 and sold the company to Herbst Gaming, now Affinity Gaming, in 2007.

Prizm Outlets (formerly Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas) shopping center is all but dead

Vital Vegas also reports that Buffalo Bill’s, whose famous Desperado roller coaster has been out of service since the pandemic closures, will soon be a weekend-only property. And the Prizm Outlets (formerly Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas) shopping center is all but dead, with just one tenant remaining.

Vital Vegas says Primm Valley Resort & Casino will become Affinity’s focus in Primm and will get “additional investment and changes.”

While most people not from Nevada or California have likely not heard of Primm or its casinos, gamers may have some familiarity. Primm is a location in the renowned game Fallout: New Vegas and fictionalized versions of its three casinos are featured in the game. The Bison Steve Hotel is based on Buffalo Bill’s, the Vikki and Vance Casino is based on both Whiskey Pete’s and Primm Valley Resort & Casino, and the El Diablo rollercoaster is a stand-in for the Desperado.