Casino boss says Primm Resorts near Vegas ‘doesn’t work’ despite family outrage

The CEO of the company that is closing a group of Nevada casino properties has defended the decision, telling gaming regulators that the once-popular gambling stop is no longer financially sustainable.

Primm, Nevada, was home to three bustling properties long considered affordable alternatives to Las Vegas, just across the California-Nevada border.

This month, it was announced that the last of the three hotels, Primm Valley Resort & Casino, is scheduled to close on July 4. That closing is expected to eliminate 344 jobs, according to Fox 5 Las Vegas.

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Affinity Interactive CEO Scott Butera told the Gaming Control Board on Thursday that Primm “doesn’t operate like a casino,” the Nevada Independent reported.

The executive cited ongoing financial losses and unsuccessful investment efforts as reasons for the closure.

“We have been losing money, we have been investing a lot in the past years but nothing,” said Butera. “We tried a lot of things there, including creating a new sign and installing new equipment.”

Butera was pressed by Mike Dreitzer, chairman of the Gaming Control Board, who told him that the board is monitoring the situation with “great concern for the public.”

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“This is very important to the state, and honesty is not only requested, but required,” said Dreitzer, the Nevada Independent reported.

“We hope that we will have a change in this area, but we are leaving as an employer.”

Butera said Affinity is “working closely with the property owner,” and cited a “potential suitor” who could renovate the property.

“We hope that we will have a change in this area, but we are leaving as an employer,” he said.

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Affinity Interactive and its principal owner, New York private equity firm Z Capital, have leased and operated the Primm buildings for nearly 15 years.

The closure was criticized by the Primm family.

The city of Nevada was known for its casino resorts, shopping areas and attractions that once attracted many tourists. (Stock)

Cory Clemetson, president of the Primm landowners group and grandson of city founder Ernie Primm, criticized the decision to close in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

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“When Primm’s buildings go dark, so does the reception they’ve given over the decades,” Clemetson said.

“It is against our principles to allow that to happen without looking at all the options,” he said.

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Clemson added that he and his family are working “tirelessly” to explore ways to renovate the Primm properties.

“Rest assured that we are working towards a renewed Primm and a return to better days,” Clemetson said.

The closure of Primm Valley Resort & Casino follows the previous closures of Whiskey Pete’s and Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino. (Ethan Miller)

The first two casinos hotels to close – Whiskey Pete’s and Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino – closed in December 2024 and reduced to special events operations in July 2025.

Primm has seen a “steady decline” over the past 15 to 20 years, an expert told Fox News Digital in early May.

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“A lot of people used to stop there,” said Amanda Belarmino, associate professor of hospitality at UNLV.

Primm Valley Casino Resorts will close 624 rooms and hotels this summer. (Stock)

“As casinos become more accessible, Primm has lost some of that appeal.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Affinity Interactive for a response to Butera’s comments.

Fox News Digital’s Teresa Mull contributed reporting.