Poker Writer
The Nevada town of Primm, located on the California border, may be getting a lifeline after it looked to be condemned to ghost town status following the pending closure of its casinos.
Kristopher Roach, the CEO of LV Petroleum, a Las Vegas-based convenience store and travel center operator, told The Nevada Independent that his company has been in talks about possibly buying the Flying J truck stop to keep it open.
Current owner of the Primm properties, Affinity Gaming, had already committed to closing down the final casino in Primm, along with the truck stop.
But Primm President Cory Clemetsen has not fully given up on keeping the town alive. He said that he has “been working tirelessly to find qualified partners to operate as many of these businesses as possible.” And it appears that LV Petroleum is the best current option for the town of Primm to survive as a popular truck stop with a casino on the well-traveled route.
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LV Petroleum Looking to Expand to I-15
The motivation for Roach and LV Petroleum is to expand its footprint across Nevada. Roach emphasized the importance of Primm’s location, nestled against the border to California on Interstate-15.
LV Petroleum owns 76 TA travel centers, but only has three in Nevada despite being a Las Vegas-based company. The stop in Primm would be the first for the company on I-15.
Roach also wants to re-open Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino, which closed back in December 2024. LV Petroleum has gaming partners that could make it operational and employ 6,000 people.
Clemetsen didn’t fully commit to the plan. He said that the offer from Roach is “overstated and premature.” But it seems that Primm has more hope than it originally appeared as Clemetsen said that he and the Primm family are considering several offers from well-established operators in Nevada.
No Stops in Primm Leaves a Hole
While many became nostalgic about the former glory of Primm’s casino boom days, the town has more or less existed as a truck stop center for more than a decade. Primm becoming a ghost town would be damaging to truckers and drivers from a logistical standpoint, creating a demand to keep the truck center part of the town operating.
Many truckers told local Nevada papers that they are concerned about the lack of stopping options heading into Las Vegas. Primm sits about 40 miles south of Sin City. The nearest city on the California side of the border is Barstow, about two hours to the southwest.
Primm becoming a ghost town would also leave hundreds of workers who rely on the truck stops for employment without jobs. As many as 344 Primm workers will lose their jobs if the closures happen. Many live in company-owned apartments behind the casinos.
The timeline for a resolution is getting tight. July 3 marks the final day of operation for the Primm business. Logistically, populating the area after it empties would be harder than simply keeping a select few businesses open and transferring the workforce.
Reports of Primm’s certain demise were a bit premature. But the road could still lead to a dusty Nevada ghost town grave if a deal doesn’t happen.
