Dan Lazzaro sported a big smile on a recent Saturday after winning $156 on a Primm Valley Resort slot machine. The resident of Buellton, California, said he prefers the older, spinning reel games such as the “Wild Cherry” machine that paid off on his wager.

Just inside the entrance to Primm’s outlet mall, which is attached to the casino, a family cheered loudly in Spanish in support of a group member trying to win a stuffed animal in a claw machine. She was unsuccessful, but their laughter permeated the property.

That was the extent of the activity on a mid-December afternoon inside Primm Valley, one of three resorts in the tiny gaming community and rest stop at the Nevada-California state line. Once a bustling destination about 40 minutes south of the Las Vegas Strip, more than half of its rooms didn’t reopen after the pandemic, and casino executives are soul-searching on how it can set itself apart from competition in Las Vegas and among Southern California’s large community of tribal casinos.

On Thursday, the company announced that Whiskey Pete’s would close on a temporary basis as “an initial step in the realigning of Primm Valley Resorts.”

In a statement, Affinity said the company plans to “feature new and ongoing investments at Primm Resorts and Buffalo Bill’s. The team has been working on developing amenities that will better fit our new and current customers.”

Primm Valley’s 624 rooms are closed, and all the casino’s table games have been removed. The William Hill sportsbook was curtained off and the bartop slot machines were missing from the sports bar. Just 300 slot machines remain. 

The 371,000-square-foot outlet mall, which at its height in the early 2000s had roughly 100 shops and food offerings, is down to one store — Sanithrift, a large thrift store that took over a space once used by clothing supplier H&M.

“Back in the 2010s, Primm was always packed with customers,” said Lazzaro’s friend Melissia Rogers. The Bakersfield resident said she visited Primm on weekends countless times during the past two decades.

Now, the experience is different.

“It’s just a stopover on our way to the Strip,” Rogers said of her and Lazzaro’s plans for a two-night stay at Luxor. “It’s kind of sad what happened to Primm.”

Scott Butera, CEO of Affinity Gaming, which operates the casinos, said the company plans to change the perception of Primm, which includes Primm Valley, Buffalo Bill’s and Whiskey Pete’s. Combined, the three resorts have more than 2,600 hotel rooms, although Buffalo Bill’s is the only property whose 1,242 rooms are still in operation.

“Primm is a unique asset. What we want to do is figure out what we can do there,” Butera said in a mid-November interview. “That’s what we’re focused on so we can create a special experience.”

Since the casinos are privately owned, Affinity does not reveal gaming numbers. The Gaming Control Board includes Primm’s monthly totals in the balance of the Clark County market.

Affinity has centered Primm’s operations on Buffalo Bill’s, which houses the 6,000-seat Star of the Desert Arena. The casino was refurbished in the past two years with new slot machines and restaurants, including a buffet. 

Earlier this year, traditional live table games were replaced with nearly a dozen electronic versions of blackjack, roulette, craps and a Big Six Wheel. Dealers remain part of the action, but the games’ chips and cards are all electronic. 

The bullet-riddled Bonnie and Clyde death car, which had been on display at Whiskey Pete’s since the 1980s, moved to Buffalo Bill’s casino in 2023 and is now in the resort’s food court area.

Where to invest? 

On the opposite side of Interstate 15, Whiskey Pete’s appeared to be an afterthought earlier this month. The casino had a large empty section where all the property’s table games and dozens of slot machines were once housed.

A few hundred slot machines were still operating near a front entrance, but on this particular afternoon, a Southern California couple, who were returning home after visiting Las Vegas, were the only casino customers. The pair, who asked that their names not be used, played a few spins on a Buffalo slot machine and expressed surprise that the casino was empty. Whiskey Pete’s 777 hotel rooms were not in use. 

“It’s a nice place to stop and break up the trip. We’re just surprised no one is here,” she said.

Butera, who held executive-level positions at properties operated by MGM Resorts International, the Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut and Atlantic City properties, said Affinity is committed to Primm. But the question is how the market can compete with tribal casinos in Southern California.

“Where is the best place that we can invest our capital? In today’s market, does it make sense to have all three properties open? Maybe not,” Butera said. “We’re looking at that. We want to create a real reason for people to get off the highway and visit.”

Whiskey Pete’s, named for legendary bootlegging moonshiner Pete MacIntyre who lived in the area, opened in 1977. Primm Valley opened in 1990. Buffalo Bill’s opened in 1994 and a second hotel tower was added in 1995.

The Primm family owns more than 568 acres on both sides of I-15, which includes the casinos and the outlet mall site. The outlet mall, which is operated by Rialto Capital Management, has been on a downward slide since the mid-2000s and has seen different ownership groups. The mall faced competition from outlet malls at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard and from the outlet mall complex just south of Barstow. Rialto has not divulged any plans for the space.

Primm has travel centers on both sides of I-15 that include fuel stations, electric vehicle charging stations and food outlets, which draw customers going to and from Las Vegas. 

Star of the Desert Arena draws customers

The main attraction for overnight visitation at Primm Valley is the arena. Major musical acts geared toward Southern California’s Hispanic market allow the resort to open hotel rooms during those busy weekends.

Prior to the closure announcement this week, Butera said that an electrical problem kept Whiskey Pete’s rooms shuttered and repairs were being scheduled.

He added the company wants to push for visitation from Las Vegas-area residents. 

“Quite frankly, Primm is not that far away,” Butera said. “I live in Southern Highlands and our offices are in Summerlin. It takes me much less time to get to Primm with all the construction in town.”

Still, Affinity, which acquired the casinos in 2009 when its privately held parent Z Capital gained ownership of the operation following Herbst Gaming’s bankruptcy reorganization, is trying to determine if the market requires 2,600 hotel rooms.

“Does it make sense to have three large resorts in Primm?” Butera asked himself. “Maybe we're better off focusing on Primm Valley and Buffalo Bill’s, and making them as nice as they can be.” 

His predecessor asked similar questions two years ago as Primm was one of the last Southern Nevada gaming markets to reemerge following the pandemic. Affinity was making plans to reopen the Desperado roller coaster, one of the world’s tallest thrill rides that has a 225-foot drop through the roof of Buffalo Bill’s. But the attraction is still silent after more than four years.

Buffalo Bill’s indoor log flume ride also hasn’t reopened but there are still small carnival games near the food court.

“Is that the best place for us to use our money? We're doing surveys and thinking of everything,” Butera said. “We're going to make Primm a fun, exciting place. Does that include the roller coaster?”

Before Thursday’s announcement, Butera said the ultimate goal is to “right size” the Primm market, even if it means closing a property permanently.

“Our customers might want new food and beverage amenities, retail amenities and a continued focus on entertainment,” Butera said. “That might be better than just having another hotel open.”