PRIMM, NEVADA, July 23 (Vegas News Online) — Terrible’s has reopened Primm Valley Casino in Primm, Nevada, turning a property that had been in transition for most of July back into an operating casino resort. The company said the reopening happened Wednesday, July 22, just 17 days after it took control of the property.
The move matters because Primm sits on Interstate 15 at the California-Nevada border, where the casinos have long served drivers headed between Southern California and Las Vegas. For travelers, the reopening restores a casino floor, hotel rooms, a sportsbook and food service. For Terrible’s, it adds another property to a network the Las Vegas company has been moving quickly to reopen.
What opened?
Terrible’s said Primm Valley Casino reopened with 422 gaming machines, 250 hotel rooms, a William Hill sportsbook, a sports bar and a 24-hour quick-bites restaurant. The company also said new promotions and rewards were launching on reopening day, and that more dining options were already being planned.
A brief ceremony accompanied the reopening. Terrible’s executives spoke, and Corey Clemetson, identified by the company as the grandson of Primm founder Ernie Primm, also took part.
What changed for customers?
Terrible’s said it is scrapping resort fees at the property. Resort fees are extra mandatory charges some hotels add on top of the advertised room rate. The company also said it will match rewards tiers previously earned by returning customers, which should help regular guests keep their status when they come back.
Those changes point to a straightforward strategy: make the property easier to price, easier to use and familiar to people who already knew the Primm casinos before the takeover.
How did the takeover happen?
The changeover started in June, when the Primm family and Terrible’s reached a reported operating agreement for Primm Valley Resort and Casino and related properties in Primm. On June 25, the Nevada Gaming Control Board approved Terrible Herbst’s application to operate Primm Valley Resort & Casino, Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino and Whiskey Pete’s Hotel & Casino, and also approved a restricted gaming license for Primm Center.
Affinity Interactive, the prior operator, said on July 5 that management control of the gaming properties had transferred at 12:01 a.m. that day to the landlord and Terrible’s. The company also said Terrible’s had taken over management of Primm Center, the Chevron gas station, Flying J, Whiskey Pete’s Travel Store, the Lotto Store and Starbucks on July 1, and that those businesses reopened for holiday travelers the next day.
At the time, Affinity Interactive said Primm Valley Casino was the only casino property open before the transition and that its immediate focus was to reopen it in the coming weeks.
Why does Primm matter?
Primm is a small community on the California-Nevada border and a gateway for traffic headed to Las Vegas. Because of that location, the casinos there have long served as a first stop, last stop or overnight stop for travelers on Interstate 15. A shutdown or reopening in Primm affects not just local workers and visitors, but also the stream of road travelers passing between the two states.
The quick reopening suggests Terrible’s wants to keep the Primm properties active rather than let them sit idle during the transition. What happens next will depend on whether the reopened casino can hold onto travelers, local customers and regular players after the first wave of reopening interest fades.
For now, the answer is simple: Primm Valley Casino is open again, and Terrible’s says it is doing so without resort fees.
