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The Nevada area once thrived with many casinos, hotels, restaurants and dozens of shops.
Today, the city of Primm will have its last casino hotel close on July 4 – putting 344 people out of a job, according to Fox 5 Las Vegas and other outlets.
“In Nevada, we have a lot of old mining towns where, when the boom ended, or after they used whatever precious metal they wanted, everybody was moved out,” Michael Green, associate professor of history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), told Fox News Digital.
“I think Primm may end up being the first gambling ghost town,” he said.
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Located on the California-Nevada border, Primm is 38 miles south of the Las Vegas Strip.
Since the 1970s, travelers driving to and from Vegas or seeking an inexpensive Sin City-style experience made Primm a thriving destination, SFGate reports.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is scheduled to close 624 rooms and hotels this summer. (Stock)
In December 2024, however, the first of three casinos in the Primm Valley Casino Resorts complex closed.
The closure of Whiskey Pete’s was followed by Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino limiting its operations to special events in July 2025.
When it closes this summer, Primm Valley Casino Resorts will lose access to 624 hotel rooms, 46,000 square feet of entertainment and more than 300 slot machines, according to Fox 5.
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Primm Valley Casino Resorts’ parent company, Affinity Gaming, notified employees earlier this month of their termination and told them to vacate the company’s premises on July 6, according to a report by 8NewsNow.com.
The company notified workers it would stop charging them rent on May 15 and promised to help coordinate government assistance, according to a letter provided to the employers and published by 8NewsNow.
As gambling became more accessible elsewhere, the town of Primm, Nevada, declined. (Stock)
In addition to the three casinos, the Primm Center gas station and the Flying J truck stop will also close, though the Primm family is reportedly working to keep gas stations along the heavily traveled route open, Fox 5 said.
“Primm has seen a slight decline in the last 15 to 20 years, mostly because of development in California and partly because of development in Las Vegas,” Amanda Belarmino, associate professor of hospitality at UNLV, told Fox News Digital.
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“The success of Native American casinos in Southern California has led to a decline in visits to Primm’s casinos,” Belarmino added.
“A lot of people used to stop there just because they had a lot of fun … and gamble once they crossed the border. But as casinos became more accessible, Primm lost that appeal,” he said.
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That’s why Las Vegas has begun to emphasize the tourist experience as opposed to “just gambling,” Green said.
Primm offered buffets, a roller coaster, concerts, a golf course and an exhibit dedicated to Bonnie and Clyde’s “death car,” but “three hotels in that area was too much,” Green said.
Casinos in Primm, Nevada, have never recovered from the hit they took during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts say. (Stock)
Business took a nosedive during COVID and has never recovered, Green said.
Despite online betting, casino games are not going away, said David G. Schwartz, a UNLV professor and gaming historian.
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“Gambling will continue to sell the same,” Schwartz said. “People could buy paper towels online, but they might not buy a Lamborghini online.”
“When it comes to buying lottery tickets, it’s probably the easiest to do that on your phone,” Schwartz said.
The rise of online gambling has led to changes in the casino industry. (Stock)
If people want to play $20,000 baccarat, they’ll probably want to do it in person, he said.
Schwartz believes that gambling-focused resorts will shift to other services.
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“If you look at Las Vegas in the last 10 years, what has been the biggest development?” Schwartz said.
“It’s not really open casinos. It’s been things like T-Mobile Arena, Allegiant Stadium, the Sphere. Not playing has been really big news.”
