The last casino with gambling on the California-Nevada Stateline is permanently closing.
A termination letter was sent to employees on Tuesday, May 5, stating that Primm Valley Resort, Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino, Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino, Primm Center, and Flying J will close by July 4, resulting in the permanent termination of all employees.
The closures come as a shock to many who have made a pit stop at the Stateline casinos for generations while passing through on their way to Las Vegas.
The three casinos were built by the Primm family over several decades, starting in the 1970s, and were sold to MGM Grand in 1999 before being sold again to Herbst Gaming—now Affinity Gaming—in 2007, the current owner.
“As a member of the Primm family that takes great pride in our decades of serving Nevada residents and visitors, we’re saddened to hear about this announcement from Affinity Gaming and its principal owner Z Capital, the New York-based private equity firm that has been leasing and operating these properties for nearly 15 years on the land owned by our family,” grandson of Primm founder Ernie Primm, Cory Clemetson shared with the Daily Press.
“We hoped that these operators could have done more to make these properties successful and to continue operating the hotel-casino and related properties that they now intend to close.”
Clemetson added that his family was not given much notice, but they are “working tirelessly” to find potential solutions for these properties at risk of closing.
How many Primm Valley Resort employees will lose jobs?
The closure will result in the termination of 344 employees, according to a notice sent to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation on May 5.
Reno Gazette Journal reported the Primm Valley employees were also told they only have weeks to find new housing; their leases at the Desert Oasis Apartments will terminate on July 6, just two days after the property plans to close its doors.
The company is working with the state to prepare to provide furloughed staff with government assistance.
Rumors of financial struggles circulated after Whiskey Pete’s closed in December 2024.
At the time, it was noted as a temporary closure, but the property never fully reopened. Buffalo Bill’s was also converted from a full-operating casino to an event-only operation in July 2025, suggesting further financial stress.
Why is Primm Valley Resort closing?
NPR cited the economic pressures of inflation, gas prices, and debt as reducing discretionary travel to Las Vegas and predicted a slowdown in Las Vegas tourism early last year.
Affinity’s vice president, Erin Barnett, wrote in a letter to the Clark County Board of Commissioners that weekend traffic at the Stateline “is insufficient to support three full-time casino properties” in 2024.
The closure of the Primm casinos at Stateline is a sign of broader economic shifts affecting Nevada tourism and how people travel in the region. The town’s business depended on steady car traffic along I‑15, but the closure suggests demand has significantly shrunk.
What are people saying about the Primm Valley Resort closure?
Las Vegas Locally initially posted the termination letter and has since been widely circulated online. Residents from the bi-state area shared fond memories of visiting the Stateline casinos growing up amid news of its closing.
“I remember staying at Buffalo Bills when my best friend turned 21,” Hesperia resident Joe Watson wrote on social media. “We stayed there and drove into Vegas. Sad day indeed.”
“I had so many childhood memories there,” High Desert resident Candace Stroup added to a post with a photo of the leaked termination letter online. “I always looked forward to stopping [at the] Stateline.”
Peter Botes commented that he used to love going to ESPN Friday Night Fights there, and Kendra Key added that she made so many memories at the Stateline and is “sad to see it go.”
Many more regret the closure of the three-casino complex, which served as a closer, more affordable alternative to the flashy casinos of the Las Vegas Strip. It is not clear what will happen to the live entertainment booked through July.
Read the full letter
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Last casino on California-Nevada Stateline closing, workers to be laid off
Reporting by McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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