Last Primm Resort to Close

[Plutonic Panda]

Well, there it is. The last major casino in Primm is closing. Anyone think there's a chance a major developer comes around and put something big here? Revitalizes it. I think something like a major waterpark(spare the bullshit about a lack of water) or perhaps the new burning man Coachella festival. Or maybe just simply revitalizing all of the casinos making them into one major resort. And basically turning it into old Vegas. Or this place is doomed to become a ghost town until it's inevitably demolished? Super fucking sad to see honestly I wish I could've seen it in its prime.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/remaining-primm-resort-set-to-close-employees-given-weeks-to-pack-up/amp/

[Max Rockatansky]

Primm was never was anything all that special.  If you want interesting quasi abandoned places in southern Clark County you're better off checking out Goodsprings or Nelson. 

[brad2971]

Primm is, at the moment, a living monument to how unsustainable the 1990s were. Once the last casino closes on July 4, the only question is how quickly those casino resorts can be torn down. Las Vegas, Clark County, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority must avoid having those places turn into ruins, especially when upwards of 44000 vehicles per day pass by Primm. That very likely means some sort of government funding will be needed to quickly tear down those casino resorts.

[Max Rockatansky]

Primm is, at the moment, a living monument to how unsustainable the 1990s were. Once the last casino closes on July 4, the only question is how quickly those casino resorts can be torn down. Las Vegas, Clark County, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority must avoid having those places turn into ruins, especially when upwards of 44000 vehicles per day pass by Primm. That very likely means some sort of government funding will be needed to quickly tear down those casino resorts.

I would think that the buildings will be around for quite some time.  It isn't as though anyone is really rushing to tear down Terrible's up in Jean.

[Scott5114]

The only reason to tear down Primm is that if it got run down it would be kind of a bad first thing to see upon entering Nevada. But who knows, maybe it'd have kind of a Fallout New Vegas vibe to it and that's popular with the kids these days.

[Max Rockatansky]

The only reason to tear down Primm is that if it got run down it would be kind of a bad first thing to see upon entering Nevada. But who knows, maybe it'd have kind of a Fallout New Vegas vibe to it and that's popular with the kids these days.

Works for the old mining towns.  When I posted about Jean and NV 161 on our Facebook account there was some unexpected references to the role Goodsprings played in New Vegas.

[Scott5114]

The only reason to tear down Primm is that if it got run down it would be kind of a bad first thing to see upon entering Nevada. But who knows, maybe it'd have kind of a Fallout New Vegas vibe to it and that's popular with the kids these days.

Works for the old mining towns.  When I posted about Jean and NV 161 on our Facebook account there was some unexpected references to the role Goodsprings played in New Vegas.

That whole region (extending as far south as Nipton) is pretty important in the game. I haven't played it myself, but sometimes I'll come across fan art of it on social media. It will always give me whiplash since the game map is fairly accurate to a map of the southern half of Clark County, and there are lots of local landmarks like the Stratosphere which end up in fan art of the game.

[Max Rockatansky]

The only reason to tear down Primm is that if it got run down it would be kind of a bad first thing to see upon entering Nevada. But who knows, maybe it'd have kind of a Fallout New Vegas vibe to it and that's popular with the kids these days.

Works for the old mining towns.  When I posted about Jean and NV 161 on our Facebook account there was some unexpected references to the role Goodsprings played in New Vegas.

That whole region (extending as far south as Nipton) is pretty important in the game. I haven't played it myself, but sometimes I'll come across fan art of it on social media. It will always give me whiplash since the game map is fairly accurate to a map of the southern half of Clark County, and there are lots of local landmarks like the Stratosphere which end up in fan art of the game.

The casinos in New Vegas are basically homages to some real-life counterparts.  The Stratosphere-like structure is called the Lucky 38 and was even a big part of the Fallout TV show.  I was hoping the show stuck close to the detail that the games had regarding road infrastructure but ultimately glossed over it.  There are bunch of I-15 shields that can be found on the abandoned freeway in Fallout: New Vegas. 

The early run of Fallout titles were some of my favorites before I quit playing video games.  No doubt it didn't hurt my interest that they were so heavily centered around the southwest.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Well, there it is. The last major casino in Primm is closing. Anyone think there's a chance a major developer comes around and put something big here? Revitalizes it. I think something like a major waterpark(spare the bullshit about a lack of water) or perhaps the new burning man Coachella festival. Or maybe just simply revitalizing all of the casinos making them into one major resort. And basically turning it into old Vegas. Or this place is doomed to become a ghost town until it's inevitably demolished? Super fucking sad to see honestly I wish I could've seen it in its prime.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/remaining-primm-resort-set-to-close-employees-given-weeks-to-pack-up/amp/

Here's an idea: put a Buc-ee's in Primm with slot machines!

[Scott5114]

Well, there it is. The last major casino in Primm is closing. Anyone think there's a chance a major developer comes around and put something big here? Revitalizes it. I think something like a major waterpark(spare the bullshit about a lack of water) or perhaps the new burning man Coachella festival. Or maybe just simply revitalizing all of the casinos making them into one major resort. And basically turning it into old Vegas. Or this place is doomed to become a ghost town until it's inevitably demolished? Super fucking sad to see honestly I wish I could've seen it in its prime.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/remaining-primm-resort-set-to-close-employees-given-weeks-to-pack-up/amp/

Here's an idea: put a Buc-ee's in Primm with slot machines!

I don't think Buc-ee's attitude is compatible with that of the state of Nevada.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Not mentioned on here is also the closure of the gas stations (both Chevron and Flying J), but there are some interested buyers...

What's left after this casino closes? Honestly, not a whole lot.
-McDonald's
-Alex's Mexican Grill (Mexican restaurant)
-Taco Bell
-Carl's Jr
-SANITHRIFT (a thrift store)

[Scott5114]

One thing Primm has in common with a lot of ghost towns is the economic purpose for the town is sort of gone. Its primary purpose was to serve as a first/last stop in Nevada for drinking and gambling. Well, these days you can gamble more or less anywhere, so if you're going to Las Vegas to do it you're doing it because you specifically want the spectacle of Las Vegas Boulevard or Fremont Street, and not because you have to gamble so bad you feel compelled to literally do it at your first and last available opportunities to do so. Society has sort of absorbed the message that drinking and driving is bad so there isn't much of a target market for a bar there anymore.

Its other function as a gas station/rest stop is less important now too. With modern fuel economy, if you gassed up in Barstow (or Eddie World) you still have plenty of gas to get to Las Vegas and vice versa. Speeds on I-15 are higher now too, so you're probably less likely to need a bathroom stop unless you've been chugging energy drinks one after another since Barstow.

If I somehow were put in charge of revitalizing Primm, I'd try putting a hundred electric car chargers in the parking lot of one of the casinos and reopen that as a place for people with range anxiety to tool around while their cars recharge. But even if 100% of traffic on I-15 was electric, that still feels like a hail mary because it's not like there are that many people who wouldn't be able to charge in Vegas, is there?

There's one store on the California side of the line which sells lottery tickets, because the lottery is the one form of gambling Nevada doesn't allow. I don't see that changing (there are not enough people who are  unsatisfied with not having lottery on top of the dozens of other types of gambling on offer to counteract the casinos not wanting it around) so that place is probably going to be around for a long time regardless of what happens to the rest of Primm.

[ZLoth]

There's one store on the California side of the line which sells lottery tickets, because the lottery is the one form of gambling Nevada doesn't allow. I don't see that changing (there are not enough people who are unsatisfied with not having lottery on top of the dozens of other types of gambling on offer to counteract the casinos not wanting it around) so that place is probably going to be around for a long time regardless of what happens to the rest of Primm.

There are going to be people in Nevada who want to purchase those MegaBall tickets when the jackpot gets really high. There is a similar place on I-80 at Gold Ranch.

And, you are right.... with the casinos up on Oklahoma only a hour away from me, the attraction of Lost Wages isn't all that great. I haven't even looked at which shows catch my eye.

[Max Rockatansky]

Well, there it is. The last major casino in Primm is closing. Anyone think there's a chance a major developer comes around and put something big here? Revitalizes it. I think something like a major waterpark(spare the bullshit about a lack of water) or perhaps the new burning man Coachella festival. Or maybe just simply revitalizing all of the casinos making them into one major resort. And basically turning it into old Vegas. Or this place is doomed to become a ghost town until it's inevitably demolished? Super fucking sad to see honestly I wish I could've seen it in its prime.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/remaining-primm-resort-set-to-close-employees-given-weeks-to-pack-up/amp/

Here's an idea: put a Buc-ee's in Primm with slot machines!

I don't think Buc-ee's attitude is compatible with that of the state of Nevada.

Beaver Brand going after a local business via lawsuit from Nevada would probably not be received well.  Nevada is really big on protecting their own businesses and locals.

[thenetwork]

With Vegas not offering free or discounted rates on parking and meals as much anymore, Primm should have hotels and casinos that offer lower-minimum games, lower cost dining options, free parking and no resort fees.

The question is would lower costs draw in enough gamblers to keep those properties financially viable in the long run, with smaller, more simple casinos available in California now.

[Max Rockatansky]

With Vegas not offering free or discounted rates on parking and meals as much anymore, Primm should have hotels and casinos that offer lower-minimum games, lower cost dining options, free parking and no resort fees.

The question is would lower costs draw in enough gamblers to keep those properties financially viable in the long run, with smaller, more simple casinos available in California now.

Really Primm never had anything on offer that you couldn't find in Laughlin.  Laughlin has the Colorado River and a whole bunch if things to do on the Arizona side nearby.

[Bobby5280]

If it was up to me, I'd bulldoze all the existing properties in Primm and just start over. Some of the stuff there is already starting to look run down. The Whiskey Pete's sign is badly faded and oxidized. Weeds and scrub brush are all over the edge of I-15 at Exit 1. BTW, the median there just looks like a gravel parking lot for motorists to use to make U-turns.

A retail outlet mall might possibly be able to work in Primm. Maybe the best bet would be a large convenience store selling gasoline at prices cheaper than the sky high costs in California. Gamblers could top off their vehicle tanks at the border.

As far as gambling goes, I think it has hit a saturation point. Casinos seem to be proliferating to more states. A lot of lobbying work is going on to legalize casinos in Texas. That might be bad news for some of the ones here in Oklahoma, WinStar in particular. If you visit a casino in Las Vegas and then visit one in Oklahoma you'll see a bunch of the same slot machines and other stuff. Sometimes the casinos in Oklahoma are actually nicer than ones in Las Vegas -and that really goes for the hotel rooms. There is no novelty to gambling in Vegas anymore. The casino-resorts got rid of most of the amusement park rides and special venue ride-film style shows. Sphere is pretty cool, but the ticket prices are just outrageous. The only thing remaining that is unique is the shows. And just like rock concerts in general, ticket prices to shows in Vegas can be a real rip-off.

I don't know if the big casinos in Las Vegas are attempting to do any damage control over what they've done to royally piss off so many visitors in recent years. It's as if the casinos were deliberately marketing themselves only to the top 1% of income earners. The casinos became increasingly dependent on well-heeled international visitors. And then a bunch of those foreign travelers stopped coming to Vegas and the US overall for reasons beyond the casinos' control.

Another problem for Las Vegas and brick and mortar casinos in general is everyone now has a casino in their pocket via the smart phone. Prediction markets (like Kalshi) have exploded in popularity. They definitely must be pulling some revenue away from casinos.

[Scott5114]

It's as if the casinos were deliberately marketing themselves only to the top 1% of income earners.

That's because they are. You make a lot more in profit on a $1,000 minimum blackjack table than you do a $5 minimum table—you have to pay the dealer, pit boss, and surveillance staff the same either way. And floor space is finite, so if you're running a $5 table, that is square footage you are limiting the earning potential of.

If someone is betting $1000/hand they have enough money that they really don't care about parking or resort fees, so you may as well charge them.

Another problem for Las Vegas and brick and mortar casinos in general is everyone now has a casino in their pocket via the smart phone. Prediction markets (like Kalshi) have exploded in popularity. They definitely must be pulling some revenue away from casinos.

Kalshi is actually currently illegal in Nevada because the state considers it a form of gambling and the Gaming Control Board wants to oversee it. Kalshi says it is not gambling and will not submit to GCB's authority. So currently it's in court and while the case resolves you cannot use Kalshi in Nevada at all.

Not pissing off the GCB is one of the things that any business in Nevada needs to have at the top of their priority list, so I imagine Kalshi is going to have a bad time here regardless of how the court case goes. GCB carries guns and has all the powers of the police and then some.

With Vegas not offering free or discounted rates on parking and meals as much anymore, Primm should have hotels and casinos that offer lower-minimum games, lower cost dining options, free parking and no resort fees.

The question is would lower costs draw in enough gamblers to keep those properties financially viable in the long run, with smaller, more simple casinos available in California now.

Given that that was more or less what Primm was trying to do already...no, no it was not.

[Scott5114]

One fun thing about Primm from a roadgeek perspective is that the main north-south street through Primm is old US 91, which means it is named Las Vegas Boulevard, even though it no longer connects to the Strip. However, since Primm is unincorporated Clark County just like the Strip is, the Las Vegas Boulevard signs at the intersection with Primm Boulevard are identical to the ones on the Strip.

[Bobby5280]

That's because they are. You make a lot more in profit on a $1,000 minimum blackjack table than you do a $5 minimum table—you have to pay the dealer, pit boss, and surveillance staff the same either way. And floor space is finite, so if you're running a $5 table, that is square footage you are limiting the earning potential of.

There's not enough of the top 1% of income earners who are gambling junkies to keep casinos in Vegas afloat. Plenty of those in the top 1% income class aren't idiots with their money either.

Meanwhile people in the other 99% class are visiting casinos closer to home. People in the top 1% class (particularly those international travelers) are free to do the same thing.

Another problem with basing a business model on courting only high income earners, when times get tough people with modest means can pull back their spend only so far. Rich people can cut their spending a whole lot more yet still feel comfortable. I'm sure the cost overhead for a Vegas casino is far greater than that of a Ferrari dealership. The casino needs a fairly large number of people visiting every day.

Kalshi is actually currently illegal in Nevada because the state considers it a form of gambling and the Gaming Control Board wants to oversee it. Kalshi says it is not gambling and will not submit to GCB's authority. So currently it's in court and while the case resolves you cannot use Kalshi in Nevada at all.

Polymarket isn't even legal in the United States, yet plenty of Americans are using it. They just use a VPN and make their trades using currencies like crypto.

[Max Rockatansky]

You are aware that there are more things to do in Las Vegas than gamble?  You don't even necessarily need to gamble if you're staying at a casino. 

[Scott5114]

There's not enough of the top 1% of income earners who are gambling junkies to keep casinos in Vegas afloat. Plenty of those in the top 1% income class aren't idiots with their money either.

Meanwhile people in the other 99% class are visiting casinos closer to home. People in the top 1% class (particularly those international travelers) are free to do the same thing.

Another problem with basing a business model on courting only high income earners, when times get tough people with modest means can pull back their spend only so far. Rich people can cut their spending a whole lot more yet still feel comfortable. I'm sure the cost overhead for a Vegas casino is far greater than that of a Ferrari dealership. The casino needs a fairly large number of people visiting every day.

I'm fairly sure MGM and Caesars aren't idiots with their money either. I guess we'll see who ends up being right the next time there's a financial downturn, which should be...oh, any minute now.

It should be noted that the "go after the high end market" is mostly Las Vegas Boulevard's doing. A few of the older properties on Fremont Street are trying to market to the people who LVB has shut out. I believe El Cortez still spreads $1 blackjack sometimes, although it's next to impossible to actually get a seat at the table when they do. Boulder Highway kind of has no choice but to remain a dive because it's Boulder Highway. The locals properties on the west side are kind of splitting the difference between LVB and Fremont.

You are aware that there are more things to do in Las Vegas than gamble?  You don't even necessarily need to gamble if you're staying at a casino. 

Yes, and that's part of LVB's calculation in going high-end. They are going after people there for concerts, sports events, and conventions. If those people drop a few bills on the gaming floor on the way up to their room at the end of the night, so much the better.

[Max Rockatansky]

These days Fremont Street really is the place to be.  The atmosphere is way more chilled out than Las Vegas Boulevard.  The city of Las Vegas also puts a lot of effort into putting up free events like concerts. 

[Bobby5280]

You are aware that there are more things to do in Las Vegas than gamble?

Vegas had more options in the past than it does now.

Luxor had a real IMAX-3D theater. What I mean by real is a pair of 15-perf 70mm film projectors. Not the digital bullshit with an IMAX logo plastered on it. Luxor also had a Showscan "ride-film" attraction; Showscan was 5-perf 70mm film run at 60 frames per second rather than the normal 24fps speed. All that fun stuff got pulled out of there over 20 years ago. Luxor also had a really great buffet that didn't cost a lot of money.

Caesar's Palace had the only domed screen IMAX-3D setup I've ever seen; it was a ride called "Race to Atlantis." I think I've mentioned the Star Trek Experience that used to be at what was the Hilton and now is known as Westgate.

The rides on top of the Stratosphere are still there, but most of those rides have been there since the late 1990's.

The International Sign Association (aka ISA) alternates their world expo between Las Vegas and Orlando each year. Historically more sign people have gone to the expo when it was in Las Vegas. Part of that reasoning was to save money. The trips were usually significantly cheaper than going to Orlando. Now that cost difference is pretty much gone.

These days Fremont Street really is the place to be.  The atmosphere is way more chilled out than Las Vegas Boulevard.  The city of Las Vegas also puts a lot of effort into putting up free events like concerts.

I like the Fremont Street Experience. It has gone through a couple or more upgrades since the 1990's when it was first built. The original over the street display had colored incandescent light bulbs. Then those got replaced by multiple generations of LED boards. It is kind of cool to be able to party right out there on the street.

I've stayed at a couple hotels in the Fremont Street area. One trip my friends and I stayed at the Lady Luck; I guess that got remodeled and then rebranded as the Downtown Grand hotel. For work trips I'd get to stay at the bigger hotels farther South. I still have decent memories of staying at the Stardust hotel in the 1990's; there was something about its big street sign I always liked. Some parts of the movie "Casino" were filmed there.

[Max Rockatansky]

None of your list includes any of the top notch outdoor recreation destinations around Las Vegas Valley.  Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, Lead Mead NRA and Mount Charleston all come to mind as places I've frequented over the years.  Death Valley National Park isn't exactly far away either. 

As far as entertainment venues go my wife and I just saw a movie at the Sphere.  Me personally I would call that a wash with other similar media that I've been to along Las Vegas Boulevard.  I don't think that I could ever bring myself to pay convention prices for Highway signs.  It always been way more affordable to just do private sales and hunt online listings for deals.

In recent years I've taken a liking to the Neon Museum and Pinball Hall of Fame.  I mentioned Fremont Street stepping things up already.  It probably is easier for me to explore the area being only 5.5 hours away.  We have plenty of incentive to visit Las Vegas given my wife has family there and I have a sibling nearby.