Primm Valley Casino Reopens After Swift 17-Day Turnaround

Primm Valley Casino has resumed operations after a 17-day shutdown, reopening its doors under the management of Las Vegas-based Terrible’s Gaming and bringing activity back to a community that many feared had lost its primary economic driver.

The property, located roughly 40 miles south of Las Vegas near the California-Nevada border, welcomed customers again on Wednesday following a brief ceremony outside the resort. The reopening came less than three weeks after previous operator Affinity Gaming ceased operations, a move that had raised concerns among employees, local stakeholders and state regulators about the future of Primm.

Terrible’s officially took possession of the property on July 5 and completed preparations for reopening in just 17 days. Company representatives said the accelerated timeline required extensive effort from employees and cooperation from state and local officials.

“On July 5, we got the keys to this very building behind us,” said Bryan Breeden, vice president of advertising and marketing for Terrible’s, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It has been an amazing 17-day turnaround. Thousands of hours were spent by hundreds of dedicated and passionate employees.”

The reopening followed negotiations between the Primm family and Terrible’s regarding lease arrangements. Nevada regulators approved the transfer of the gaming license on June 25, allowing the transition process to move forward.

Customers and Employees Welcome the Return

Many of the resort’s 344 employees attended the reopening, relieved that jobs would remain available after uncertainty surrounding the property’s future. Longtime workers reunited with returning guests as customers entered the casino floor for the first time since the closure.

Housekeeping supervisor Rosa Diaz, who has worked in Primm for 31 years, spent the morning greeting familiar faces while preparing hotel rooms for guests.

The reopening also drew loyal visitors from Nevada and Southern California. Among the first customers was Alejandro Cabrera, who frequently visited the property before it closed.

“We live in Vegas so we used to come here every other weekend or so,” Cabrera said. “We decided to come check it out. When it closed, we felt pretty sad, but now, we’re happy again.”

Vee Holland changed her travel plans after learning the casino would reopen and decided to visit Primm instead of staying elsewhere. “They were honoring my points, and this is where I wanted to be,” she said.

Other guests described the property’s importance as a familiar stop along Interstate 15. Dee Holland reflected on the casino’s long-standing role for travelers entering Nevada. “It’s so iconic to most of us. We take this drive, we stop here. It’s part of our nostalgia,” Holland said.

Returning customer Brent Kroeger expressed a similar sentiment. “Extremely excited,” Kroeger said. “I went into a little bit of a depression when I heard this place closed down, and when I heard it was reopening I was ecstatic.”

Ryan Smallwood added: “Absolutely love this place. Missed it when it was gone. Bring it back. It lives forever.”

Longtime patron Felix Garcia, who has spent extended periods at Primm Valley for decades, also attended the reopening. “I am so glad to see this,” Garcia said.

Gaming Floor, Hotel Rooms and Sportsbook Back Online

When the doors opened, customers quickly spread across the gaming floor, where 422 slot machines were available. The return of gaming activity immediately restored sounds that had been absent during the closure.

“That’s really great to hear,” Breeden said after entering the casino. “It’s been really quiet around here for quite a while.”

Visitors found several amenities operating from day one, including 250 hotel rooms, a William Hill sportsbook, a sports bar and a 24-hour quick-service restaurant. Terrible’s also announced that it would waive resort fees and honor existing player reward levels earned before the closure.

Las Vegas resident Leon Roberts was among the first guests to begin playing.

“I like to come here because I think the machines pay better, and I think the people here are great,” Roberts said. “I think the customer service is really good, and the staff is awesome. It’s worth driving an hour, and I actually look forward to coming here more than any other Vegas casino.”

The William Hill sportsbook also resumed operations. Dan Shapiro, senior vice president and chief development officer for Caesars Entertainment, explained that preparations had initially been made for a permanent closure before circumstances changed.

“Believe it or not we actually moved everything out because we thought they were closing in early July, and then once we got our deal agreed with Terrible’s we quickly put everything back and you know rearranged the furniture,” Shapiro said. “We changed the location of the counter and brought the odds boards back in with some additional furniture and our kiosks, and we were back.”

Future Investment Planned for the Property

Executives indicated that the reopening represents only the first stage of a broader effort to restore and improve the resort.

Corey Clemetson, grandson of Primm founder Ernie Primm and president of Primm South Real Estate Co., credited public support and employee commitment for helping the project move faster than anticipated.

“Fans of Primm from across the country, in some cases, shared stories that have been more than heartfelt,” Clemetson said. “They were warm stories of their childhood, stories about what they said they’d miss about Primm. Lots of ideas and words of encouragement saying don’t give up. It has meant the world to not only myself, but more importantly, many members of our family that have seen incredible messages on social media.”

Clemetson also emphasized the property’s significance to Nevada’s history. “We want to make sure Primm keeps its iconic-in-Nevada lore, so to speak. I know my grandfather is looking down today and he’d have a big smile on where it’s at,” he said.

Terrible’s has already begun work on additional amenities, including a coffee bar, a 24-hour café and a steakhouse. Company executives said further evaluations are underway as they determine the next phase of development for Primm Valley and the surrounding resort community.