LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Multiple casino-resorts in Primm, along with two gas stations and the Lotto Store, are set to permanently close, according to the company.
For a town once built on constant traffic, bright lights and a steady stream of visitors heading in from California, the announcement feels like the end of an era.
Rihanna Rodarte is one of the owners of a taco restaurant called Alex’s Mexican Grill in Primm. She’s been here for nine years and says the latest news of more closures is devastating.
“The business is getting down every year, every time, more and more and more,” Rodarte said.
Her business has long depended on the flow of people who stopped here — from casino workers to concert crowds at Buffalo Bill’s.
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Years of decline
Rodarte says Primm has been losing pieces of itself for years — first the roller coaster, then the outlets, and now the essentials.
“So, it’s very complicated now. It’s, the future is, they don’t look good,” she said. “So, I don’t know what’s gonna be next.”
In its heyday, Primm was a well-known gambling destination for Southern Californians — a desert detour that turned into a tradition for many. But experts say that changed once California expanded its own gaming options.
“Well, after we had the proliferation of Indian casinos in California, people then didn’t have to drive up to Prim to gamble. They could stay close to home and gamble. So, that really did affect them,” said David G. Schwartz a UNLV tourism and gaming historian for Las Vegas.
Dr. Michael Green a history professor at UNLV says one of Primm’s biggest weakness was that too much of its identity — and economy — rested on just a few attractions, a lesson in history that is still relevant to Las Vegas itself.
“Las Vegas will probably look at Primm and say, oh, well, that was Prim. But I think Las Vegas could benefit from digging a little deeper to see what else we can offer ourselves as a community,” he said.
For many who live here or still stop through, there’s sadness — but also hope that this is not the final chapter.
“Well, I think someone should come buy it out. Maybe Elon Musk could make a Tesla land or something. You know, make a Tesla theme park, everything electric. That’d be cool,” one traveler said.
The properties are set to close July 4, according to a notice issued by the company. In all, 344 employees are expected to be affected.
Both gas stations — the Flying J on the northwest side of Interstate 15 and the Primm Center on the southeast side of I-15 — are also expected to shut down through the company.
But Clark County Commission Chair Michael Naft said there are operators interested in stepping in to take over both locations, and it appears unlikely those gas stations will stay dark for long.
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