Nevada Regulators Rush Approval to Prevent Primm Shutdown

Posted on: June 26, 2026, 12:11h. 

Last updated on: June 26, 2026, 12:11h.

Corey Levitan Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Vegas Myths Busted.
  • Nevada regulators fast-tracked a one-year gaming license for Terrible’s to block a July 4 shutdown in Primm
  • The last-minute deal saves 300 jobs and housing for the border town’s workforce
  • New operator Tim Herbst says he evaluating whether to safely reopen long-dormant landmarks like Whiskey Pete’s and the Desperado roller coaster

Nevada gaming regulators have signed off on an emergency deal that keeps Primm Valley Resort from shutting down over the July 4 weekend and hands control of the border town’s casinos and key service stations to Terrible’s Gaming. This eleventh-hour intervention secures employment and housing for more than 300 workers, and averts a devastating economic collapse for the small California-Nevada border town 40 miles south of Las Vegas.

The Primm Valley Resort & Casino, the sole casino currently operating in the tiny border town of Primm, Nev., opened in 1990 as the Primadonna Resort & Casino. It is the last resort in the border town to remain fully open. (Image: Shutterstock)

At a special hearing Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) voted unanimously to recommend Terrible’s for a one‑year limited/conditional license to take over operations from Affinity Gaming, which had announced it would abandon the properties after 15 years. Three hours later, the Nevada Gaming Commission finalized the approval in a brief 5–0 vote.

The decision transfers operational control of Primm Valley Resort, Buffalo Bill’s, and Whiskey Pete’s, along with the town’s service stations. (The Flying J travel center will continue operating separately under Pilot Co.) Terrible’s will assume responsibility on July 1, giving the company only days to stabilize a community that had been bracing for mass layoffs and shuttered businesses.

Tim Herbst, president of Terrible’s, told regulators the company stepped in after learning the Primm family was scrambling to prevent a shutdown.

“We felt an obligation to help keep those employees working,” he said, adding that the company has already onboarded roughly 300 workers and committed to maintaining in‑town housing at the Oasis Apartments, where most employees live.

Regulators praised the move as an example of community‑first decision‑making, noting that Primm is the first impression millions of travelers a year get when crossing the state line.

“I appreciate that in this day, where it always seems that everybody’s chasing dollars, you are concerned with the community and the human side first,” NGCB chair Mike Dreitzer told Herbst. “It’s rare and it’s commendable.”

Whiskey Pete’s to Reopen?

Herbst said Terrible’s is evaluating whether to reopen Whiskey Pete’s, which closed in 2024, once safety assessments are complete and that it would continue using Buffalo Bill’s for special events to preserve its gaming license. Only Primm Valley Resort had remained open in recent months.

Whiskey Pete’s — the long dark casino that greeted I-15 travelers for nearly half a century — has been closed since 2024. But that may soon change. (Image: Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty)

Herbst also said he’s talking with California State Lottery officials to keep the Primm Valley Lotto Store, just across the state line, open. And he confirmed that his company is evaluating whether the long-dormant Desperado roller coaster can be brought back into service, with life safety assessments as a key issue.

The coaster — the world’s tallest when it opened in 1994 — was deemed unsafe by Clark County on December 14, 2019. According to this 2022 Instagram report, Affinity couldn’t afford to make the necessary improvements to render it operational — though it’s equally likely that the cost just didn’t make sense.

Stopgap Measure

A Terrible’s gas station in Las Vegas. According to the Herbst family, its odd choice of name came about because whenever it entered a new market with lower gas prices, competitors would complain: “Here comes that terrible Herbst.” (Image: Terrible’s)

The one‑year license reflects the compressed timeline regulators faced. With less than a month to investigate the application, the temporary approval gives Terrible’s time to assess infrastructure needs, negotiate asset transfers with Affinity, and develop long‑term plans for the 570 acres of Primm family‑owned land straddling Interstate 15.

Terrible’s previously operated the Primm casinos from 2007 to 2010, before losing them during a bankruptcy reorganization that led to the creation of Affinity Gaming. The company now runs a statewide network of convenience stores, travel centers, taverns, and rural casinos, including properties in Pahrump, Indian Springs, Fernley, and Searchlight.

Herbst sees significant potential in Primm’s future, citing the planned Brightline West high‑speed rail line and the long‑discussed supplemental airport south of Las Vegas.

Cory Clemetson, grandson of Primm founder Ernie Primm, said the family chose Terrible’s after evaluating multiple operators.

“Ultimately, the Herbsts were the best fit for us,” he said, adding: “We’re confident that Primm has a bright future and look forward to working with the team at Terrible’s to modernize and energize this important gateway to Nevada.”