UNITED STATES—Nevada natives and California commuters will be sad to learn that the distinctive Whiskey Pete’s casino has shut its doors for at least two years.
While Nevada has no shortage of casinos, California only allows Indian casino gambling and both states have yet to legalize online casino gambling.
This has left consumers exploring offshore online betting alternatives, with no KYC casinos proving popular among bettors that want to keep their personal information private, don’t want to waste time with lengthy registration and identification processes, and want access to a wide selection of traditional casino games and online slots.
Whisky Pete’s Closes its Doors
Whiskey Pete’s has been a fixture of Primm, Nevada since opening in 1977. Named after a famous bootlegger, the casino was attached to the Primm Valley Resort by a monorail which crossed Interstate 15. Unfortunately, the casino and hotel have closed citing a loss of business.
The cost of running a fully functioning casino and 777 room hotel proved to be too much, and the famous castle-shaped resort, which is operated by Affinity Interactive, submitted a letter to the Clark County Board of Commissioners who allowed a waiver for the operation’s license requirements. This allowed a 24-month closure with the possibility of two additional six-month extensions.
Whiskey Pete’s will continue to operate 22 slot machines at its truck stop during the closure and it seems that this decision to merely pause operations rather than close its doors for good shows that Affinity Interactive is hopeful that the area can turn around its dwindling fortunes.
Airport Proposal
While Primm has struggled in recent years, resulting in the casino and outlet mall seeing a sharp drop in footfall. However, locals are hopeful that the SNSA (Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport) project has renewed hopes that there is a future for operations on the Californian border.
The new commercial airport development had been talked about for years, but the growing popularity of Reid Airport has seen it welcome record numbers, and the case for the SNSA was strengthened.
The proposed location for the development is between Primm and Jean in the Ivanpah Valley, and this would be massive for Primm businesses. Work could start as early as this year, but an expected completion date of some time in 2037 could be too far in the future for Whiskey Pete’s to hold on.
A construction project of this magnitude would see a lot of workers coming to the area and improved employment opportunities for locals. It could also boost the potential of nearby areas like Primm, with businesses keen to get a foothold in the area by the time the airport is operational. This will see an increase in interstate traffic that is essential for the hotel and casino’s future.
Conclusion
The future of Whiskey Pete’s hangs in the balance, and its decision to close its doors for between two and three years could be enough to see it return and capitalize on nearby developments.
