Ghost-town casinos get stunning rescue after family finds last-minute buyer
FIRST ON FOX: At the 11th hour — and on the brink of an impending closure July 4 — the Primm family in Nevada has found a white knight partner to help save its once-packed resorts from becoming a dilapidated ghost town.
Members of the Primm family shared exclusively on Monday with Fox News Digital that they've signed an agreement with Las Vegas-based Terrible’s, another private company, to operate its hotel-casino and related properties in Primm, Nevada.
Cory Clemetson, grandson of Primm's founder and president of the Primm South Real Estate Company, said, "We’re pleased that we were able to secure such a qualified and like-minded partner for our properties at Primm."
CASINO RESORTS IN NEVADA LOCATION, ONCE PACKED, BECOME GHOST TOWN AS CLOSURE NEARS
Tim Herbst, president of Terrible’s, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital, "Primm has long been one of Nevada’s most recognizable destinations. This partnership reflects our commitment to preserving that legacy while creating new opportunities for growth, investment and tourism. We believe Primm’s best days are still ahead."
Primm was long viewed as a more affordable alternative to Las Vegas. But Primm's last casino hotel, Primm Valley Resort & Casino, was scheduled to close July 4, as Fox News Digital previously reported. That closure would have put 344 people out of work.
The expected closures were announced recently by casino operator Affinity Interactive and its principal owner, New York-based private equity firm Z Capital, which has leased and operated the Primm properties for nearly 15 years.
Affinity Interactive CEO Scott Butera recently told the Gaming Control Board that Primm is "just not viable as a casino operation," the Nevada Independent reported.
The executive cited ongoing financial losses and unsuccessful investment efforts as reasons for the closure.
CASINO BOSS DEFENDS CLOSURE OF ICONIC PRIMM RESORTS AMID BACKLASH FROM FOUNDING FAMILY
"If [my grandfather] were alive today, he would be outraged [about the idea of] letting go in excess of 300 people on the 4th of July, a celebratory day, in the heat," Clemetson told Fox News Digital, sharing his opinion.
"I think [my grandfather] would just be mortified [if] that had taken place," he said.
"We hope our new operator, [together with] us, will be able to transition in a much more responsible way ... for the sake of the hardworking paycheck-to-paycheck employees that have really, in many cases, given their lives to Primm," he added.
Fox News Digital previously reached out to Affinity Interactive for comment.
Since the 1970s, travelers driving to and from Vegas or seeking a less-expensive Sin City-style experience made Primm a booming place.
In December 2024, however, the first of the three casinos in the Primm Valley Casino Resorts complex closed.
The shuttering of Whiskey Pete’s was followed by Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino limiting its operations to special events in July 2025.
If it were to close down this summer, the Primm Valley Casino Resorts would have closed 624 hotel rooms and suites as well as 46,000 square feet of entertainment, according to Fox 5.
When asked why so many visitors remain nostalgic about Primm to this day, Clemetson said, "I think people just remember the great days when they stopped [by] as kids."
"We used to have a roller coaster that was operational," he shared.
"It was affordable for many families, even by Las Vegas standards."
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Clemetson chuckled as he recounted fond memories from his childhood of his grandfather.
"He had a toupee, and I used to steal the toupee and run around, and he'd chase after me and kind of laugh," Clemetson said.
"[My relatives] came up with great ideas, including a $1 hot dog — a really good hot dog, Coney-Island style," he also said.
Now, Clemetson is banking on a new airport in development near the town of Primm.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA), previously known as Ivanpah Valley Airport, would be located along Interstate 15 (I-15) right near Primm.
Construction is expected to begin by 2029, with completion as early as 2035, according to reports.
"Primm will have an advantage that very few Las Vegas casinos even today have," he said.
The Herbst family, which runs Terrible's, has a foothold in gaming, convenience retail, fuel, hospitality and travel services.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
Future plans may include property renovations, upgraded traveler amenities, enhanced food and beverage offerings, infrastructure improvements and other investments.
Clemetson said that today, he's "bullish on the long-term prospects."
"My grandfather is known as a legendary figure in our state … with a lot of history," he said.
"I know our family wants to do everything they can to preserve that legacy," Clemetson said.
"We don't know exactly what the future is going to hold — but we are giving it our very best to get back to better days."
Teresa Mull and Andrea Margolis, both of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.