The Nevada casino town of Primm has been saved from a ghost-town fate by a new partnership

FIRST ON FOX: At the 11th hour – and on the brink of impending closure on July 4 – the Primm family in Nevada found a white partner to help save their once-crowded resort from a crumbling ghost town.

Primm family members shared exclusively Monday with Fox News Digital that they signed an agreement with Las Vegas-based Terrible’s, another private company, to operate a hotel, casino and related properties in Primm, Nevada.

Cory Clemetson, grandson of Primm’s founder and president of Primm South Real Estate Company, said, “We are pleased to have been able to find a suitable and like-minded partner for our properties in Primm.”

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Tim Herbst, president of Terrible’s, said in a joint statement with Fox News Digital, “Primm has long been one of Nevada’s most recognized landmarks. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to preserving that legacy while creating new opportunities for growth, investment and tourism. We believe Primm’s best days are ahead of us.”

Primm was long considered a some of the cheapest in Las Vegas. But Primm’s last casino hotel, Primm Valley Resort & Casino, was set to close on July 4, as Fox News Digital previously reported. That closing would have put 344 people out of a job.

The anticipated closure was announced recently by casino company Affinity Interactive and its principal owner, New York private equity firm Z Capital, which has leased and operated the Primm properties for nearly 15 years.

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

The official quoted ongoing financial losses and unsuccessful investment attempts as grounds for closure.

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“If [my grandfather] If you were alive today, you would be angry [about the idea of] to release over 300 people on the 4th of July, a day of celebration, when it’s hot,” Clemetson told Fox News Digital, speaking about his idea.

“I think [my grandfather] he will be praised [if] what happened,” he said.

“We hope that our new conductor, [together with] we, we will be able to change in a responsible way … because of the workers who work hard to pay the check, in many cases, give their lives to Primm,” he added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Affinity Interactive for comment.

The disused shopping center in Primm, pictured above, was another victim of the recession, with hundreds of jobs lost. (Michael Anthony of Fox News Digital)

Since the 1970s, travelers driving to and from Vegas or seeking an inexpensive Sin City-style experience have made Primm a thriving destination.

In December 2024, however, the first of three casinos in Primm Valley Casino Resorts the complex is closed.

The closure of Whiskey Pete’s was followed by Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino limiting its operations to special events in July 2025.

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If it were to close this summer, Primm Valley Casino Resorts would have lost 624 hotel rooms and 46,000 square feet of entertainment, according to Fox 5.

When asked why so many visitors still don’t enjoy Primm to this day, Clemetson said, “I think people just remember the good old days when they stop. [by] like children.”

When asked why so many visitors did not please Primm, a member of the Primm family said, “I think people just remember the good days when they stopped as kids.” (Michael Anthony of Fox News Digital)

“We used to have a roller coaster that worked,” he said.

“Most families were affordable, even by Las Vegas standards.”

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Clemson chuckled as he recounted fond memories from his childhood of his grandfather.

“He had a football player, I used to steal from him and run, he chased me and he just laughed,” said Clemetson.

Cory Clemetson chuckled as he recounted fond memories from his childhood of his grandfather at the family-run resort. (Fox News Digital)

“[My relatives] they came up with great ideas, including a $1 hot dog — a perfect hot dog, Coney-Island style,” he added.

Now, Clemetson is banking on a new airport being developed near the town of Primm.

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Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA), formerly known as Ivapah Valley Airport, will be located along Interstate 15 (I-15) near Primm.

Construction is expected to begin in 2029, with completion in early 2035, according to reports.

A new airport is said to be under development near the town of Primm, Nevada. (Michael Anthony of Fox News Digital)

“Primm will have the advantage that there are very few Las Vegas casinos even today,” he said.

The Herbst family, which owns Terrible’s, is involved in sports, convenience stores, gasoline, hospitality and travel services.

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Future plans may include building renovations, improved traveler services, improved food and beverage offerings, infrastructure improvements and other investments.

Clemson said today, “he is delusional about long-term prospects.”

Future plans may include building renovations, improved traveler services, improved food and beverage offerings, infrastructure improvements and other investments. (Stock)

“My grandfather is known as a famous person in our province … with a lot of history,” he said.

“I know our family wants to do everything possible to preserve that legacy,” said Clemetson.

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“We don’t know exactly what the future holds – but we are doing everything we can to return to better days.”

Teresa Mull and Andrea Margolis, both of Fox News Digital, contributed reporting.