Gas Station Terrible’s Reaches Deal to Try to Rescue Nevada Border Town Primm
Credit: donielle/Flickr
The Nevada border town of Primm may not be condemned to ghost town status, after all. Nevada gas station chain Terrible’s has reportedly reached a deal with the Primm family to keep the town alive.
Primm sits on Interstate 15, straddling the border with California. It had served as a final gambling and convenience stop for travelers on the desolate desert road, while also allowing Californians the opportunity to cross the border and gamble without going all the way to Las Vegas.
The town had been set to shut down in July, with July 3 planned as the last day of operations for Primm’s final remaining casino resort, Primm Valley. Employees received a notification of the planned shutdown in early May.
However, Terrible’s, which operates a ubiquitous gas station chain in Nevada and several small casinos, has signed a deal to try to save Primm. The Primm family decided to partner with Terrible’s after considering other offers.
Cory Clemetson, president of Primm South Real Estate Company, said in a press release that the partnership will “restore, enhance and reimagine Primm as a destination for travelers, tourists, truck drivers and Southern Nevada residents.”
Primm Property a Hand-in-Glove Fit With Terrible’s Gaming Operations
While best known for operating Chevron gas stations featuring a mustachioed cowboy mascot, Terrible’s has experience in the gaming industry as well. Not all of it has been successful, however.
Currently, Terrible’s operates a handful of casino properties in Nevada. Rather than the ultra-crowded Las Vegas market, Terrible’s has opted to focus on running casinos in tiny out-of-the-way towns such as Fernley, Searchlight, Pahrump, and Indian Springs. The former is located off I-80, about 30 minutes east of Reno. The latter three are short drives outside of Las Vegas.
In that sense, a takeover of Primm Valley Casino Resort fits snugly into the Terrible’s gaming portfolio. The ongoing operation of the casinos outside of Las Vegas indicates that Terrible’s has found a niche in the Nevada casino market. Avoiding the heavy competition of Vegas has proven sharp.
Things didn’t go quite as well for Terrible’s when it tried to compete with the casino giants in town. Terrible’s took over the old Hotel Continental, located just over a mile off the Strip, reopening it in 2000 as Terrible’s Hotel Casino.
It was supposed to be a locals-focused outfit, but the operation lasted only a decade. Herbst Gaming filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Affinity Gaming took over and rebranded the property as Silver Sevens, running the casino to this day.
Terrible’s does maintain a small gaming presence in Las Vegas via its convenience stores. Some of its gas stations have slots and video poker machines inside.
New Airport Could Turn Things Around for Primm
The first key step in the effort to revitalize Primm will be the Nevada Gaming Control Board approving the transfer of the casino property. That appears to be a formality. Board member George Assad told a local news outlet that a special session on June 25 will “spread a little good news for the employees out at Primm.”
With the planned closure date fast approaching next month, all details for the planned Terrible’s takeover need to be ironed out soon. Most of the roughly 340 Primm employees live in on-site company-owned apartments. If everything shuts down, they’ll move out of the area. Repopulating it with a new batch of workers will become a much thornier proposition.
If Terrible’s does manage to keep Primm afloat, it could pay dividends down the road. Construction on the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport is supposed to begin by 2029. It’s going to be located a mere five miles from Primm, but 44 miles from the Las Vegas airport.
Passengers with incoming and outgoing flights may choose to stay a day or two in Primm to save on travel time and cost.
If that does come to fruition, Primm could grow back into something resembling its old glory as a border casino town. It once housed three operating casinos. However, demand for gambling just outside of California decreased greatly in recent years, thanks to the availability of tribal casinos and controversial cardroom table games.
Whiskey Pete’s and Buffalo Bill’s closed up shop in 2024 and 2025, respectively. That left only Primm Valley keeping area gaming going, along with a Flying J truck stop.
If the deal between Terrible’s and the Primm family goes through as planned, then at least those two businesses will keep Primm on life support, waiting for better days.
Image credit: donielle/Flickr (license)
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