Primm casino Buffalo Bill's, once a Vegas drive staple, shrinking operating hours
Buffalo Bill's will stop 24-hour operations and only open when the resort's Star of the Desert Arena is in use, Primm Valley Resort & Casino said in a statement to USA TODAY.
"In order to deliver the best possible experience for today's guest expectations, Buffalo Bill's will be shifting its 24/7 operations to Primm Valley Resort & Casino," the casino – owned by Affinity Gaming – said in the statement.
The company told Las Vegas Fox affiliate KVVU that the casino, food and beverage and hotel would remain open for concerts and special events. The company said in the statement that it will announce fall shows "soon" and lists performances by Argentine singer-songwriter Amanda Miguel on July 5 and Grupo Cañaveral on Aug. 30 on the Buffalo Bill's website.
Reservations for the Buffalo Bill's hotel through its website were unavailable after July 7, including for the weekend of the Grupo Cañaveral performance.
The casino's statement on the closure of Buffalo Bill's did not mention the fate of the Desperado roller coaster, the Adventure Canyon Log Flume ride or the Bonnie and Clyde Death Car.
The "shift" follows the December 2024 closure of Whiskey Pete's, the Affinity Gaming property on the west side of Interstate 15. Though the closure of the 47-year-old property was described to the Las Vegas Review-Journal as "temporary," Whiskey Pete's does not appear on the list of casinos operated by Affinity on its website.
Affinity won a waiver from Clark County Commissioners to maintain the license associated with Whiskey Pete's for at least two years, according to Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS. A gas station on the property continues to have slot machines.
Las Vegas alternative faltering
Primm Valley was once considered an affordable and family friendly alternative to Sin City, located about 40 miles to the south of the Strip.
Buffalo Bill's offered "$2 beers, $7 prime rib dinners and $25 shows" in 2009, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Ernest Primm opened Whiskey Pete's in 1977 to capitalize on travelers to Las Vegas and handed the business off to his son Gary, who opened Primm Valley in 1990 and Buffalo Bill's in 1994, according to the Sun.
The popularity of the resort town diminished through the 2010s, with the COVID-19 pandemic dealing a decisive blow. Recent visits to both Primm Valley Resort and Buffalo Bill's by USA TODAY staff saw sparse crowds.
The once bustling outlet mall currently has only one tenant: the Sanithrift thrift clothing store. Primm Valley Golf Club, on the California side of the border, closed in 2024 amid a sale, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
"In recent years, and particularly post-pandemic, the traffic at the state line has proved to be heavily weighted towards weekend activity and is insufficient to support three full-time casino properties," Erin Barnett, Affinity senior vice president and general counsel, said in an Oct. 18 letter to Clark County published by KLAS.
Barnett points to a potential airport being built nearby as a reason for a "resurgence." However, the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in the Ivanpah Valley between Jean and Primm has been under consideration for decades and will not open earlier than 2037, according to the Review Journal.
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