Primm, Nevada Casino Deal Saves Jobs and Town from Ghost Town Status

Primm, Nevada — a popular stop-over locale for travelers between Las Vegas and Los Angeles — may have narrowly avoided becoming a ghost town thanks to a deal with a regional convenience store.

Affinity Gaming, which runs one of Primm's primary attractions — the Primm Valley Resort and Casino — announced in May that it planned to close the gaming center, leaving those who work or rely on the business wondering what might become of their jobs and the town.

“The Primm property was a cash drain of approximately $10–15 million per year for many years, and there was no commercially rational basis to continue investing in the property or to financially support its continued operations,” Affinity said in a statement, according to Fox 5.

Now, a deal has been finalized between Affinity Gaming and Terrible's, a convenience store and gas station chain, that transfers several properties, including the casino, into the latter's possession, News 3 Las Vegas reports.

The deal saved approximately 300 jobs that otherwise might have been lost in the casino closure, and keeps the town from losing some of its main tourist draws.

Terrible’s said it retained 100 percent of the staff who wanted to continue working in their jobs.

“I feel great! We don't have to scramble around and find housing or another job, so...it's a good feeling," Dominic Jenkins, who works at the Primm Center, told News 3 Las Vegas.

Since the deal was finalized, Terrible's staff have been working to transition the newly acquired properties into its structure.

“Really, just training our staff, getting our store up to standards,” Terrible's retail manager Robert Guillen told the outlet.

David Schwartz, a gaming historian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told the broadcaster that Terrible's has opportunity to breathe new life into the area — if it does a good job with its marketing.

“I think a lot of it does depend on how they market it and what attractions they have there; people will travel to go to things,” he said. "If it's just, well, here's the same slot machines you can play an hour closer to home, maybe not, but if it's, well, here's something different, maybe.”

In addition to acquiring the casino, Terrible's will also take over the lotto store in Primm, which sells more tickets than any other store in the state.

Local radio host Ryan Hunter on Coyote Country FM called on residents of the Las Vegas region help Primm and support Terrible's as it takes on ownership of much of the town.

“I think it's awesome they saved it. But here's what I want Vegas to know. We have to come here and support it now,” Hunter told the broadcaster. “If Terrible's is going to save it and the jobs, we have to do our part.”

The Primm Valley Casino, Buffalo Bill’s Casino, and Whiskey Pete’s Casino were transferred into Terrible’s control just after midnight on Sunday.