Published on: December 17, 2024, 11:32h.

Last updated on: December 17, 2024, 12:27h.

If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic on Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Southern California, you’ve surely seen Whiskey Pete’s. The 16-story castle-like hotel on the Nevada side of the border with California will soon be closing its doors for good.

Whiskey Pete’s, which first opened in 1977 with a large number of rooms, table games, and slots, is set to shut down by the end of this year. The closure was confirmed by Casino.org’s Vital Vegas. Reservations for the hotel are no longer being accepted online.

Whiskey Pete’s is part of the Primm Valley Casino Resorts owned by Affinity Gaming, who also own other properties in the area such as Buffalo Bill’s and Primm Valley Resort. Affinity Gaming acquired Primm Valley Resorts in 2007 and has since made changes to its portfolio.

Primm, Nev.

Primm has seen a decline in business over the years, with the recent pandemic exacerbating the situation. The outlet mall in Primm, once bustling, is now empty with all tenants gone. The amusement park at Buffalo Bill’s closed in 2019 and never reopened.

Primm Valley Resort & Casino has also faced challenges, with incidents of theft due to low occupancy. Affinity Gaming plans to focus its efforts on this property, with new investments and changes in the pipeline, including a new Denny’s.

The Story of Whiskey Pete

Whiskey Pete’s is named after a real person, Peter McIntyre, who ran a gas station on the same site in the late 1920s until 1932. McIntyre, a former miner and bootlegger, had a colorful past with run-ins with the law.

McIntyre’s dubious past led to his wife committing him to a sanitarium in 1932, where he passed away the following year. Ernest J. Primm later purchased the property and opened the casino hotel in McIntyre’s honor in 1977.