Ghost-town casinos get stunning rescue after family finds last-minute buyer

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At the 11th hour — and on the brink of an impending closure on July 4 — thePrimm family in Nevadahas found a white knight partner to help save its once-packed resorts from becoming a dilapidated ghost town.

�ve signed an agreement with Las Vegas-based Terrible’s, another private company, to operate its hotel-casino and related properties in Primm, Nevada.

Cory Clemetson, grandson of Primm’s founder and president of the Primm South Real Estate Company, said, “We’re pleased that we were able to secure such a qualified and like-minded partner for our properties at Primm.”

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Tim Herbst, president of Terrible“Primm has long been one of Nevada’s most recognizable destinations.This partnership reflects our commitment to preserving that legacy while creating new opportunities for growth, investment and tourism.We believe Primm’s best days are still ahead.”

Primm was long viewed as amore affordable alternative to Las Vegas.But Primm’s last casino hotel, Primm Valley Resort &That closure would have put 344 people out of work.

Whiskey Pete's casino and hotel building in Primm, Nevada

At the last moment, the Primm family found a “like-minded partner” to rescue its resorts before a scheduled closure on July 4.One of the resorts, Whiskey Pete’s, is pictured here.

The expected closures were announced recently bycasino operatorAffinity Interactive and its principal owner, New York-based private equity firm Z Capital, which has leased and operated the Primm properties for nearly 15 years.

Affinity Interactive CEO Scott Butera recently told the Gaming Control Board that Primm is “just not viable as a casino operation,” the Nevada Independent reported.

The executive citedongoing financial lossesand unsuccessful investment efforts as reasons for the closure.

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“If [my grandfather] were alive today, he would be outraged [about the idea of]letting go in excess of 300 peopleon the 4th of July, a celebratory day, in the heat,�

“I think [my grandfather] would just be mortified [if] that had taken place,” he said.

“We hope our new operator, [together with] us, will be able to transition in a much more responsible way … for the sake of the hardworking paycheck-to-paycheck employees that have really, in many cases, given their lives to Primm,” he added.

View of an abandoned mall in Primm, Nevada

An abandoned mall in Primm, shown above, was another victim of the economic downturn, with hundreds of jobs lost.

Since the 1970s, travelers drivingto and from Vegasor seeking a less-expensive Sin City-style experience made Primm a booming place.

In December 2024, however, the first of the three casinos in thePrimm Valley Casino Resortscomplex closed.

The shuttering of Whiskey Pete’s was followed by Buffalo Bill’s Resort &Casino limiting its operations to special events in July 2025.

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If it were to close down this summer, thePrimm Valley Casino Resorts

When asked why so many visitors remain nostalgic about Primm to this day, Clemetson said, “I think people just remember the great days when they stopped [by] as kids.”

Cory Clemetson of the Primm family chuckled as he recounted fond memories from his childhood of his grandfather.

“We used to have a roller coaster that was operational,” he shared.

“It was affordable for many families, even by Las Vegas standards.”

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Clemetson chuckled as he recounted fond memories from his childhood of his grandfather.

“He had a toupee, and I used to steal the toupee and run around, and he’d chase after me and kind of laugh,” Clemetson said.

Whiskey Pete's casino building in Primm, Nevada

When asked why so many visitors are nostalgic about Primm, Cory Clemetson said, “I think people just remember the great days when they stopped as kids.�

“[My relatives] came up with great ideas, includinga $1 hot dog— a really good hot dog, Coney-Island style,” he also said.

Now, Clemetson is banking on a new airport in development near the town of Primm.

Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA), previously known as Ivanpah Valley Airport, would be located along Interstate 15 (I-15) right near Primm.

Construction is expected to begin by 2029, with completion as early as 2035, according to reports.

“Primm will have an advantage that very few Las Vegas casinos even today have,” he said.

The Herbst family, which runs Terrible’s, has a foothold in gaming, convenience retail, fuel,hospitality and travelservices.

Future plans may include property renovations, upgraded traveler amenities, enhanced food and beverage offerings, infrastructure improvements and other investments.

Clemetson said that today, he’s “bullish on the long-term prospects.”

Future plans may include property renovations, upgraded traveler amenities, enhanced food and beverage offerings, infrastructure improvements and other investments.(iStock)

“My grandfather is known as a legendary figure in our state … witha lot of history,” he said.

“I know our family wants to do everything they can to preserve that legacy,” Clemetson said.

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“We don’t know exactly what the future is going to hold — but we are giving it our very best to get back to better days.”