Buffalo Bill's

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Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino
Buffalo Bill's logo.svg
Primm, Nevada (2).jpg
Location Primm, Nevada, U.S.
Address 31700 Las Vegas Boulevard
Opening dateMay 14, 1994;31 years ago (1994-05-14)
Closing dateJuly 7, 2025;41 days ago (2025-07-07)
Theme Old West
No. of rooms1,242
Total gaming space61,372 sq ft (5,701.6 m2)
Permanent shows Star of the Desert Arena
Signature attractions Desperado
Adventure Canyon Log Flume
Frog Hopper
Turbo Drop (1997-2017)
Zone Arcade
Movie theater
Notable restaurants Denny's
Owner Affinity Gaming
Renovated in1995, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2020–2022
Website primmvalleyresorts.com

Buffalo Bill's is a defunct hotel and casino in Primm, Nevada, United States, at the California state line. It was one of the Primm Valley Resorts, owned and operated by Affinity Gaming. It had 1,242 guest rooms and suites at the time of its closure. The hotel was home to the Desperado roller coaster, a hypercoaster with a 225-foot drop, and a top speed of 80 mph, a log flume ride, as well as a pool in the shape of a buffalo. The hotel-casino had two hotel room towers: the Annie Oakley Tower (the A Tower) and the Buffalo Bill Tower (B Tower). It was named after Buffalo Bill.

Contents

The 61,372 sq ft (5,701.6 m2) casino had over 1,700 slot machines, as well as table games and a race and sports book. [1] Buffalo Bill's was also home of the Star of the Desert Arena, a 6,500-seat arena designed for concerts.

History

The casino opened on May 14, 1994 [2] with 592 hotel rooms, and a new tower was added in 1995. [3]

Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resorts logo (2007-2011) Primm Valley logo.png
Terrible's Primm Valley Casino Resorts logo (2007–2011)

The ribbon cutting for the change of ownership for Primm Valley Resorts from MGM Mirage to Herbst Gaming was held at Buffalo Bill's on April 10, 2007. [4]

Herbst undertook a marketing strategy of appealing especially to California Latinos, including the addition of Spanish-speaking dealers, charter bus trips from the Inland Empire, concerts by norteño musician Ramón Ayala, and a Mexican restaurant branded with Ayala's name. [5]

The interiors and exteriors of the casino were used in the movie Top of the World (1997) starring Peter Weller, Dennis Hopper and Tia Carrere. Until 2019, the roller coaster was usually running only on weekends.

In March 2019, Cuca's Mexican Food, originally from Redlands, California, opened their first hotel location in Nevada within Buffalo Bill's. This restaurant is an extension of the brand that has 6 locations in the Inland Empire of California.

Final years and closure

Buffalo Bill's closed on March 17, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada. It underwent renovations, which included restaurant upgrades and new slot machines, before re–opening on December 23, 2022. [6] [7] However, when the property re–opened, the roller coaster and log flume did not re–open again due to Clark County regulations.

Following a decline in business around the Primm area, it was announced that the hotel and casino would close again on July 7, 2025, with the property only operating on special events. [8] [9]

Bonnie and Clyde's death car

The automobile in which Bonnie and Clyde were killed is on display at Buffalo Bill’s. It was previously on display at Whiskey Pete's until the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 1990s, the vehicle was exhibited for several years at Primm Valley Resort [10] and Terrible's Gold Ranch Casino in Verdi [11] before being returned to Whiskey Pete's in July 2011. It was then moved back to Primm Valley Resort briefly before being moved to Buffalo Bill's in late 2022, where it resided until 2025 when it was moved back to Primm Valley Resorts after the closure of Buffalo BIll's. [12]

Tram to Primm Valley

A tram linked Buffalo Bill's to nearby Primm Valley Resort. [13] The multi-car tram was designed by Schwager-Davis to their UniTrak standard. Despite its name, the tram actually ran on two guideways. Each car accommodated 24 people; the four-car trains seated 96 people with no standees. The system transported 2,200 people, per hour, per direction (pphpd). An attendant supervised each tram, although the tram was controlled by a computer.

After disembarking at the Primm Valley Resort station, passengers could connect to a free single-car tram across I-15 to Whiskey Pete's, [14] although the connection takes a walk across the entire hotel. Both services have not run since the mid 2010's. [15]

The Bison Steve Hotel, a location featured in the 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas , is based on Buffalo Bill’s. [16] [17]

References

  1. "Listing of Financial Statements Square Footage". Nevada Gaming Control Board . Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  2. Benston, Liz (July 2, 2009). "Primm's lure: Freebies". Las Vegas Sun . Retrieved July 2, 2009.
  3. "Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino Fact Sheet". Primm Valley Casino Resorts. 2002. Archived from the original on December 3, 2003. Retrieved January 16, 2004.
  4. "Herbst Gaming". Las Vegas Review-Journal . p. D1.
  5. Lapan, Tovin (February 18, 2012). "New restaurant in Primm pays homage to 'King of the Accordion'". Las Vegas Sun . Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  6. Wilson, David (December 24, 2022). "Buffalo Bill's in Primm reopens". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  7. "Buffalo Bill's in Primm reopens to customers after closed since March 2020". KVVU. December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  8. Mehaffey, John (June 30, 2025). "Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm Closing". vegasadvantage.com. Advantage Media. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  9. Powel, James (July 3, 2025). "Buffalo Bill's casino will only open for special events". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  10. "Bonnie and Clyde's Death Car." Archived June 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Roadside America.com. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
  11. "Bonnie and Clyde's Death Car." Archived April 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Roadside America.com. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  12. "How the 'Bonnie and Clyde Death Car' ended up in Primm". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 19, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  13. "Primadonna-Buffalo Bill's UniTrak People Mover" (PDF). Schwager-Davis. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
  14. "Primadonna Shuttle System Retrofit" (PDF). Schwager-Davis. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
  15. Mehaffey, John (December 21, 2024). "Whiskey Pete's in Primm Quietly Closed | Vegas Advantage" . Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  16. Harkness, Vic (April 14, 2019). "The Fallout New Vegas experience, IRL: Primm".
  17. Carter, Geoff; Sampson, Amber; Schneider, Tyler (May 25, 2025). "YOUR GUIDE TO A 'FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS' REAL-LIFE SCAVENGER HUNT AS THE HIT VIDEO GAME CELEBRATES 15 YEARS". lasvegasweekly.com.

35°36′54″N115°23′04″W / 35.614945°N 115.384504°W / 35.614945; -115.384504