Buffalo Bill’s in Primm, Nevada, will close for two years while hosting occasional events to maintain its gaming license. Primm Valley Resort remains the town’s sole daily operator.
PRIMM/JEAN, Nev. — Travelers driving Interstate 15 between Southern California and Las Vegas will find fewer places to stop and play after regulators approved a long shutdown of Buffalo Bill’s in Primm and the earlier closure and demolition of Terrible’s in Jean. The decisions reflect the growing challenges for once-bustling roadside casinos on the California–Nevada border.
Primm’s shrinking casino row
Clark County has approved Affinity Interactive’s request to close Buffalo Bill’s for 24 months, with the possibility of two six-month extensions. To preserve its gaming license, the resort must open to the public at least one eight-hour day per quarter through June 29, 2027. Affinity plans to host about eight to ten concerts and special events per yearduring the closure. The company cited a slowing of post-pandemic traffic at Stateline, noting that demand has concentrated on weekends.
Next door, Whiskey Pete’s, also owned by Affinity, shut its doors on December 17, 2024 and is expected to remain closed for years. That leaves Primm Valley Resort & Casino as the only property still operating daily in Primm. Affinity has recently renovated rooms and expanded amenities at Primm Valley, signaling its intent to focus resources there.
Jean’s casino era ends
In nearby Jean, the landmark Terrible’s Hotel & Casino (formerly Gold Strike) is gone. Once operated by JETT Gaming of the Herbst family, the property was sold to Tolles Development in 2022. Demolition was completed by late 2023, and construction is underway for a multi-building industrial park. The sale marked the end of Jean’s history as a roadside casino stop for California drivers.
The Last Casino Standing in Primm
For decades, Primm and Jean offered travelers a chance to gamble before reaching Las Vegas. With Buffalo Bill’s and Whiskey Pete’s dark and Terrible’s demolished, the I-15 corridor has just one full-time casino left: Primm Valley. Operators and regulators acknowledge that Stateline no longer draws consistent daily traffic, forcing consolidation and closures.
What could reshape the future
Longer-term, state and federal planners are moving forward on the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport, envisioned between Jean and Primm. Public meetings began this summer, though the project is not expected to open until about 2037. If completed, the airport could alter travel patterns and bring new development south of Las Vegas.
Beyond the California–Vegas drive
Elsewhere in Nevada, the ripple effects of the pandemic can still be felt. In Laughlin, the once-iconic Colorado Belle, shaped like a 19th-century riverboat and owned by Golden Entertainment, has kept its doors closed since 2020 and shows no signs of returning to operation. On Las Vegas’ Boulder Strip, the Eastside Cannery, owned by Boyd Gaming, has also remained dark since March 2020. Despite occasional speculation about its future, the company has offered no firm plans to reopen, leaving two large properties as silent reminders of a difficult era for regional gaming.
