Vee Holland was set to spend the weekend at the off-Strip Silver Sevens, using her player rewards points she earned at the Primm Valley Casino. But she canceled the booking after she received a phone call from her Primm host informing her that the property was reopening.

"They were honoring my points, and this is where I wanted to be," said Holland, a Southern California resident.

She was not alone.

Dozens of loyal Primm customers waited Wednesday morning for Las Vegas-based Terrible's Gaming to reopen Primm Valley, 17 days after previous operator Affinity Gaming ceased operations. Once thought to be gone for good, executives for the new parent company later said they expected it to take two to four months to reopen the casino 40 miles from Las Vegas at the California-Nevada border.

They bet on the under.

"I am so glad to see this," said longtime Primm customer Felix Garcia, 78, as he wheeled a luggage cart into the casino. He has called Primm Valley his home from Thursday through Sunday for three weeks every month going back several decades. 

Nevada regulators approved Terrible's as the new operator for the Primm resort community on June 25. Terrible's opened the property with 422 slot machines, a William Hill Sports Book, 250 hotel rooms and a 24/7 quick-bite eatery. Company executives are evaluating their next steps in taking over the border town, whose economy has revolved almost exclusively around Primm Valley and two other closed casinos — Whiskey Pete's and Buffalo Bill's. 

The morning was filled with smiles.

Housekeeping department supervisor Rosa Diaz, a 31-year Primm employee, greeted longtime customers and employees with hugs, saying her goal was making sure hotel rooms were ready.  

Donna Mireles stopped on her way home to Los Angeles to play the Buffalo slots at Primm. A longtime customer, she didn't realize until Tuesday evening the casino was reopening. 

Las Vegas resident Kim McMurray decided to drive Wednesday morning to Primm, which he said had been one his favorite places over the years.

"My wife and I loved the steakhouse. I hope they get it open soon," he said.