Another Southern Nevada hotel-casino to close
The second Primm hotel in six months is closing its doors — sort of — a spokesman for its parent company confirmed Tuesday.
Old West-themed Buffalo Bill’s, home of the Desperado roller coaster, the Bonnie and Clyde “death car” and the Star of the Desert Arena, will shutter its 1,242 rooms most days for an undisclosed amount of time.
A company representative in an email said operations would shift to the Primm Valley Resort next door to Buffalo Bill’s on the east side of Interstate 15. While the spokesman did not detail potential closure plans, the resort’s website isn’t taking room reservations after Sunday.
In addition, the spokesman explained that Buffalo Bill’s hotel rooms and the property’s restaurants would be open when there are concerts in the Star of the Desert Arena.
In December, Whiskey Pete’s, the 777-room hotel on the west side of I-15 was shuttered in what eventually was described as a “long-term closure.” The property’s owner, Las Vegas-based Affinity Gaming, received special permission from the Clark County Commission for the closure.
Primm is located about 44 miles south of Las Vegas on the California-Nevada border.
In an email, the Affinity representative said, “In order to deliver the best possible experience for today’s guest expectations, Buffalo Bill’s will be shifting its 24/7 operations to Primm Valley Resort & Casino.”
The spokesman said the Star of the Desert Arena, a 6,500-seat performance venue would open with a fall schedule. The Buffalo Bill’s website lists performances by Argentine singer-songwriter Amanda Miguel on Saturday and Grupo Canaveral on Aug. 30.
There’s no indication what will become of the Desperado, once the tallest roller coaster in the world with a 209-foot hill with the ride reaching 80 mph, or the Adventure Canyon Log Flume ride. Also up in the air is the destination of the famous getaway car for notorious criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.
According to Affinity’s request before the Clark County Commission, Whiskey Pete’s would be closed for up to 24 months with the possibility of two six-month extensions to the closure, but there was no indication on the duration of the Buffalo Bill’s closure.
The bullet hole-riddled Bonnie and Clyde “death car” was displayed at Whiskey Pete’s, but moved to Buffalo Bill’s when that hotel closed. The company had no details about what would happen to the car next.
Affinity executives explained to gaming regulators in February that they intend to reposition the Primm resorts from destination properties to travel resources for motorists driving between Las Vegas and Southern California.
“In recent years, and particularly post-pandemic, the traffic at the state line has proved to be heavily weighted towards weekend activity and insufficient to support three full-time casino properties,” Affinity Senior Vice President and General Counsel Erin Barnett said in a letter to county officials.
“The positive news is that expected development of an airport and ancillary businesses has created the prospect of a resurgence for the area in the coming years,” she said. “However, in the interim, it is not feasible to keep all three casino properties staffed, supported and open to the public on a full-time basis.”
Barnett was referring to the future development of the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in the Ivanpah Valley between Jean and Primm, which isn’t due to open until 2037 at the earliest.
The first of three public hearings on the environmental impact of the proposed airport is scheduled July 29. The third hearing, on July 31, is scheduled at Primm Valley Resort’s ballroom.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
