Primm Offered A Cheap, Closer Option Than Vegas For Southern Californians. Then Came The Tribal Casinos

Once upon a time, Primm, Nev., had 3 bustling casino resorts, shiny state stations, a roller coaster and Bonnie and Clyde’s “death car.”

It was a spot surreal, said erstwhile visitant John Honell of West Covina: “You had this full analyzable successful nan mediate of nan desert.”

Southern Californians walking nan arid stretches of nan I-15 would spot Primm popular up. As he drove to Sin City for bowling tournaments, Honell would extremity and “drop a fewer coins” into nan slot machines. It was a gambling oasis — a small little flashy and a small much affordable than Vegas and 45 minutes closer.

“I conjecture it worked for a while,” said Honell, 85.

But it useful nary longer. The past of nan 3 casino resorts will adjacent connected July 4, proprietor Affinity Gaming confirmed to The Times this week.

Honell, a regular successful nan 1970s, saw nan maturation of a godforsaken gamble: nan description of nan Primm property, successful nan dusty municipality erstwhile known arsenic State Line, from Whiskey Pete’s state station, barroom and slot machines into 3 engaged resorts.

The Nevada gambling hub southbound of Las Vegas on nan 15 Freeway appears finished, though. Southern Californians who appreciated that it was a shorter thrust now tin find gambling overmuch closer, astatine tribal casinos.

Las Vegas insider publication Las Vegas Locally posted a termination missive from Affinity Gaming’s affiliate, Primadonna Co. LLC, to labor who worked astatine Primm Valley.

The casino is closing down July 4, pinch each employment ending that time too.

Affinity Gaming declined to make an charismatic comment.

The castle-shaped Whiskey Pete’s opened successful 1977, followed by Primm Valley successful 1990 and Buffalo Bill’s successful 1994. Whiskey Pete’s was nan first casino to close, successful December 2024. Buffalo Bill’s Resort ended 24-7 operations connected July 6, only opening erstwhile nan casino’s performance venue, nan Star of nan Desert Arena, hosted typical events.

David G. Schwartz, a gaming historiographer and professor astatine nan University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said Primm’s casinos were “built for an wholly different world.”

“Southern California is simply a immense marketplace for Las Vegas and, successful particular, it was erstwhile very charismatic for those successful nan Inland Empire,” Schwartz said. “It was a measurement to trim 45 minutes disconnected nan thrust — it was a 2-hour drive. It’s different math.”

Lights still glow connected nan Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino motion connected Sunday, July 6, 2025 successful Primm, NV. (Bridget Bennett / For The Times)

(Bridget Bennett/For The Times)

Primm was erstwhile 1 of Nevada’s much celebrated gambling resorts, a little expensive, somewhat much kitschy replacement to Las Vegas that benefited from being person than Sin City.

Primm Valley, Whiskey Pete’s and Buffalo Bill’s each hosted astatine 1 clip nan famed Bonnie and Clyde V-8 Ford riddled pinch much than 100 bullets successful 1934.

Whiskey Pete’s offered a speedy and affordable 24-hour IHOP, successful comparison to Vegas’ pricier buffets, and Californians and Nevadans visited Primm Valley’s 100-store outlet mall, supported by shoppers who were brought by autobus to nan mall for free.

The 3 resorts enjoyed description and maturation passim nan 2010s by utilizing debased prices, gimmicks and attractions to lure guests.

Buffalo Bill’s was nan biggest of nan trio, boasting a buffalo-shaped excavation and 592 rooms astatine its opening (the Bellagio has astir 4,000 rooms) and yet expanding to 1,242 rooms.

Buffalo Bill’s and its sister resorts closed successful March 2020 erstwhile nan pandemic hit, reopening betwixt December 2022 and 2023. But they struggled to pull customers.

Although nan COVID-19 pandemic wounded each Nevada casinos, that was only portion of nan logic for Primm’s decline. Schwartz said tribal casinos successful Southern California saw their prospects soar arsenic Primm’s hotels teeter-tottered.

California voters passed Proposition 1-A successful 2000, which allowed tribal casinos to operate slot machines and erased limits connected paper games.

“Many of those group Primm was drafting from began to enactment successful Southern California, wherever nan drives are conscionable overmuch shorter and nan amenities overmuch closer,” Schwartz said. “You spot nan aforesaid rumor playing retired astatine Laughlin on nan Arizona separator and Reno and Tahoe successful Northern California.”

Shortly aft Proposition 1-A’s passage, San Manuel was 1 of respective tribal casinos successful San Bernardino and Riverside counties that declared an arms title pinch Nevada.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino successful Indio, tally by nan Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, opened successful December 2004. The people was nan 4th betwixt 2002 and 2004 to unfastened aliases grow its operations, including Agua Caliente successful Palm Springs, Morongo successful Cabazon and nan Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians successful Temecula.

Most of these casinos person continued to build and grow their operations arsenic gross has continued to flow.

The Southern California tribal resorts are classified by nan National Indian Gaming Commission, a gaming regulatory body, to beryllium successful nan Sacramento region, which includes each resorts successful California and Northern Nevada.

In 2014, nan combined casinos contributed $7.9 billion successful gross gaming revenue.

Ten years later, 87 tribal operations passim 2 states combined for $12.1 billion, marking a humble 1.4% summation from 2023.

Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, tally by nan San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, sits successful Highland, astir 200 miles from Primm but little than half that region from downtown L.A.

Yaamava’ completed a $760-million description successful 2021, which added a 17-floor tower, 3 bars and astir 1,700 caller slots.

The 7,400 slot machines astatine Yaamava’ make nan casino nan West Coast’s largest, pinch 4,000 much slots than its Vegas peers. By quadrate footage of gaming space, Yaamava is No. 4 successful nan federation and still nan biggest connected nan West Coast.

“The diminution has been portion of a larger trend,” Schwartz said of Primm. “People are choosing options that astir entreaty to them.”