Once A Budget Casino Escape For SoCal, Primm Now Resembles A Ghost Town: Report

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Once a bustling casino and shopping stop for Southern Californians "who couldn't wait for Las Vegas," Primm has all but turned into a complete ghost town, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

The Western-themed Buffalo Bill's resort ended its "24/7 operations" on July 6, just after the closure of nearby Whiskey Pete's resort. Now, just one casino remains, Primm Valley Casino Resorts.

The town on the border of California and Nevada once enjoyed a constant flow of travelers who stopped to ride Buffalo Bill’s towering roller coaster, snag discounted designer goods at the outlet mall, and book cheap hotel rooms that made Primm a more affordable alternative to Las Vegas.

But Primm’s decline has been fueled by a combination of setbacks, including the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and mounting competition from the growing number of tribal casinos across California, such as Yaamava, Morongo, Pechenga and more. These casinos are newer, offer big-name concert headliners and are easier to get to than Primm, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“There’s no easy answer as to why Primm is in its current state,” said Amanda Belarmino, associate professor of hospitality management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “They’ve had a slow decline expedited by COVID-19, and they’ve been unable to respond to competition in California and southern Nevada.”

In addition to casino closures, Primm’s once-bustling outlet mall now sits largely vacant. Operators have floated a “Primm 2.0” overhaul to breathe new life into the town, while a planned airport nearby in the next decade could eventually bring more visitors back through the border community.

Read more from the Los Angeles Times: Primm was once an affordable casino mecca for L.A. Now it has become a ghost town