LAS VEGAS — Terrible’s has reached an agreement with the Primm family to operate hotel-casino and related properties in Primm, giving the Nevada-California border community a path to avoid a planned July 4 shutdown that threatened hundreds of jobs and key travel services along Interstate 15.
The agreement would place the remaining Primm operations under the Terrible’s brand, operated by the Herbst family, which has long been active in Nevada’s fuel, convenience-store and gaming industries. The Primm family owns the land and had been seeking a way to keep the properties operating after Affinity Gaming moved to exit the market.
The deal still requires action by Nevada gaming regulators. Industry publication CDC Gaming reported that the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada Gaming Commission are expected to hold a special June 25 meeting to consider licensing matters connected to Terrible’s planned takeover of casino operations.
The agreement follows a May closure notice involving Primm Valley Resorts, Buffalo Bill’s, Whiskey Pete’s, Primm Center and the Flying J travel center. Nevada employment records and local reporting said the planned shutdown would affect 344 workers and raised concerns for employees and residents tied to company-owned housing.
For Primm, the agreement marks a significant turn after weeks of uncertainty. The community, located near the California line about 40 miles south of Las Vegas, has long served as a stop for Southern California motorists traveling to and from Las Vegas. At its height, Primm was known for casino resorts, outlet shopping, roadside attractions and entertainment venues. In recent years, the area has struggled with reduced resort activity, aging properties and changing travel patterns.
Cory Clemetson, grandson of Primm founder Ernie Primm and president of Primm South Real Estate Co., has said the family wanted to preserve business activity, jobs and housing in the community. Terrible’s previously had ties to the Primm properties after acquiring them from MGM Resorts International in 2007, when the company was known as Herbst Gaming.
Affinity Gaming executives told Nevada regulators in May that the company was working with the Primm family on a transition as it prepared to stop casino operations.
The broader future of the resort corridor remains unresolved. Whiskey Pete’s had already been closed, and Buffalo Bill’s had moved away from regular daily casino operations. Primm Valley Casino Resort was the last full-time casino operation when the closure notice was issued.
The agreement offers Primm a practical reprieve before the July 4 deadline, pending Nevada gaming approval.
