Two of Nevada’s Primm-based casinos are set to reopen after a change in ownership, following in the footsteps of Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino. Buffalo Bill’s re-opened in January, following a multi-million dollar renovation – it is now under the ownership of Affinity Gaming, who also own Primm Valley Resorts and Whiskey Pete’s Casino Hotel.
Affinity moved an iconic piece of memorabilia – the bullet-ridden Bonnie and Clyde ‘death car’ – from Whiskey Pete’s to Buffalo Bill’s. The move signified a new direction for Primm’s three casinos, as Affinity seeks to remedy the downturn in business that the county's casinos have experienced in recent years.
The casino operator blames an exodus of Primm customers to Southern California casinos (with the county sitting near the state line between Nevada and California). The three casinos shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic deterring footfall from 2020.
A 371,000-square-foot outlet mall attached to the Primm Valley Hotel and Casino went through foreclosure during the recession and saw numerous changes in ownership.
Affinity, which is privately owned by New York City-based Z Capital Partners, is now looking to regain the customers lost to Southern California venues by making major renovations to its Primm casinos.
Affinity CEO Andrei Scrivens said that Buffalo Bill’s reopening had been successful and received great feedback from patrons. He commented: “That feedback encourages us to spend more and cater to the customer. I think there's a nostalgia for some people with families that have gone back and forth between Las Vegas in California.”
Primm Valley General Manager Jerry West said: “At Buffalo Bill’s, we redesigned the hotel rooms and we’ve refreshed the casino floor with new carpeting and new slot machines with the newest game themes. We’re in the process of adding new restaurants. Our customers will be impressed with the changes.”
He emphasized that, while Buffalo Bill’s was Affinity’s priority in Primm, efforts were underway to make the other two casinos operational in the near future.
