Affinity Gaming to Shut Down Buffalo Bill’s Casino for a Minimum of 2 Years

During a Tuesday hearing, the Clark County Commission unanimously approved a two-year closure of Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino in Primm, Nevada. Affinity Gaming, the Las Vegas-based operator that runs the property, sought consent to temporarily shut down the 1,242-room Old West-themed property 44 miles south of Las Vegas along Interstate 15.

Approval for the closure was first given in July, but Affinity went after a two-year pause with options for two six-month extensions. Affinity attorney Stephanie Gronauer explained that post-pandemic visitation declines in Las Vegas and Primm were the leading cause. The company’s petition emphasized that insufficient traffic made it challenging to sustain multiple casinos in the area.

Few Re-openings Annually

Affinity will temporarily open Buffalo Bill’s Resort 8 – 10 times yearly for concerts and events at its 6,500-seat Star of the Desert Arena. The casino and restaurant will be available to guests during these limited periods.

The operator has yet to confirm how staffing will work for the sporadic re-openings. It has also not addressed what will happen to its legacy attractions like the Desperado roller coaster, which was once the world’s tallest with a 209-foot drop, and the Adventure Canyon Log Flume. Meanwhile, the macabre Bonnie & Clyde “death car” attraction has been moved to Affinity’s Primm Valley Resort across I-15.

Pandemic Effects

Buffalo Bill’s Resort, which debuted in 1994, once drew crowds as a regional hotspot and film location. “They were very well known for the roller coaster and for big events at the arena,” noted UNLV history chair Dr. Michael Green.

The property’s first closure in July 2025, which left only special-event operations, followed a similar shutdown of Whiskey Pete’s, another Affinity property, in December 2024. The closure was also approved under waived county licensing rules.

Dr. Green links Primm’s struggles to post-COVID visitation drops and increased casino competition in Southern California. Prim Valley Resort is now the company’s only operational property in the area.

Delayed Airport Hopes

Buffalo Bill’s reopening has not been discussed, but Affinity plans to exploit future economic potential from the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport, which is in the works in Ivanpah Valley. However, federal reviews for the project won’t end until mid-2027. Final authorization is not expected until spring 2028, pushing construction timelines to 2030.