Clark County has given permission for the long-term closure of a Primm casino.
In a unanimous vote, the Clark County Commission on Tuesday approved a waiver to county gaming licensing requirements to Affinity Interactive subsidiary The Primadonna Company, operator of Whiskey Pete’s, a resort on the west side of Interstate 15 in Primm at the California-Nevada state line.
According to Affinity’s request, Whiskey Pete’s — one of three hotel-casino properties operated by the company at Primm — would be closed for up to 24 months with the possibility of two six-month extensions to the closure.
County statutes require that a license be suspended or become nonrenewable if a licensed property is closed for more than 30 consecutive days.
Affinity intends to keep open the nearby Whiskey Pete’s Stateline Stop, a truck stop and convenience store. The truck stop has 22 slot machines that operate under the casino’s nonrestricted gaming license.
Affinity executives explained to gaming regulators in February that they intend to reposition the Primm resorts from destination properties to travel resources for motorists driving between Las Vegas and Southern California.
“In recent years, and particularly post-pandemic, the traffic at the state line has proved to be heavily weighted towards weekend activity and insufficient to support three full-time casino properties,” Affinity Senior Vice President and General Counsel Erin Barnett said in a letter to county officials.
“The positive news is that expected development of an airport and ancillary businesses has created the prospect of a resurgence for the area in the coming years,” she said. “However, in the interim, it is not feasible to keep all three casino properties staffed, supported and open to the public on a full-time basis.”
Barnett was referring to the future development of the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport in the Ivanpah Valley between Jean and Primm, which isn’t due to open until 2037 at the earliest.
Affinity received permission in 2013 from former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli to keep the slot machines in the truck stop convenience store under the casino gaming license.
In a public hearing during Tuesday’s five-minute consideration, no one spoke in opposition to Affinity’s plan.
Whiskey Pete’s shut down in December in what was termed a “temporary closure.” In appearances before the Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission in February, Scott Butera, president and CEO of Affinity Interactive, who was up for licensing as a key employee and for a finding of suitability, explained that the properties in Primm were undergoing “an exciting transition.”
Buffalo Bill’s and Primm Valley, casinos on the east side of I-15, remain open during the transition.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.