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Casino boss says Primm Resorts near Vegas are ‘not viable’ despite family ire

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The CEO behind the company that closed a group of iconic Nevada casino resorts defended the decision and told gaming regulators that the once-popular gambling shutdown was no longer financially sustainable.

Primm, Nevada, was once home to three bustling properties just across the California-Nevada border that have long been viewed as affordable alternatives to Las Vegas.

This month, it was announced that the last of the three hotels, Primm Valley Resort & Casino, is scheduled to close on July 4th. This closure is expected to lay off 344 people. Fox 5 Las Vegas.

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Affinity Interactive CEO Scott Butera told the Gaming Control Board on Thursday that Primm is “unsuitable as a casino operation,” the Nevada Independent reported.

The executive cited ongoing financial losses and unsuccessful investment efforts as reasons for the closure.

Primm’s remaining casino hotel will close on July 4, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed. “We’ve tried a lot of things here,” said a senior manager. (Ethan Miller)

“We are losing money and have invested a lot of money over the years for nothing,” Butera said. “We tried a lot of things there, including building a new sign and new slot machines.”

Gaming Control Board chairman Mike Dreitzer pressed Butera and told him the board was monitoring the situation “with great concern to the community.”

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“This is critically important to the state, and good faith is not only demanded, but necessary,” Dreitzer said, according to the Nevada Independent.

“We hope to have a transition on the property, but we are exiting as tenants.”

Butera said Affinity is “working very closely with the landlord” and noted there is a “potential suitor” who could revitalize the property.

“We hope to transition the property but exit as tenants,” he said.

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Affinity Interactive and its principal owner, New York-based private equity firm Z Capital, have been leasing and operating the Primm properties for nearly 15 years.

The closure sparked criticism from the Primm family.

The Nevada town was known for casino resorts, outlet shopping, and attractions that once drew lots of tourist traffic. (iStock)

Cory Clemetson, president of Primm’s landowners group and grandson of town founder Ernie Primm, condemned the closure in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

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“If Primm properties go dark, the reception they have provided for decades will fade,” Clemetson said.

“It is against our values to allow this to happen without considering all options,” he said.

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Clemetson added that he and his family have been working “tirelessly” to explore ways to revitalize the Primm properties.

“Rest assured that we are working towards the revitalization of Primm and a return to better days,” Clemetson said.

Primm Resort sign with closed notice in Nevada desert

The closure of Primm Valley Resort & Casino follows the previous closures of Whiskey Pete’s and Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino. (Ethan Miller)

top two casinos hotels – Whiskey Pete’s and Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino – Closed in December 2024 and returned to special event operations in July 2025.

Primm has seen a “slow decline” over the last 15 to 20 years, an expert told Fox News Digital in early May.

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“A lot of people would stop there,” said Amanda Belarmino, an associate professor of hospitality at UNLV.