Longtime gaming executive Scott Butera discusses what changes are in store for Affinity Interactive’s Primm properties on the California border.
The top executive of Affinity Interactive has told Nevada gaming regulators that his company is looking to reposition its casino properties in Primm from destination resorts to a travel resource for Southern Californians making their way to Las Vegas.
Longtime gaming industry executive Scott Butera, who will appear before the Nevada Gaming Commission next week for licensing as a manager for Affinity and a finding of suitability as an officer and key employee, told the Nevada Gaming Control Board that his company is looking at how it can best position itself for the years ahead.
“Primm is a very special place,” Butera said at the Control Board’s Feb. 12 meeting. “Primm has been around for decades. It was the gateway to Las Vegas for people traveling from Los Angeles. It was originally designed really to be a destination resort for that community. Now, there are plenty of casinos (tribal and card rooms) in Los Angeles and in Nevada, obviously. So the idea is to basically reposition Primm.”
Butera said Primm’s greatest asset is having 50,000 cars pass by it every day on Interstate 15. The town on the California border is about a 45-minute drive from Las Vegas.
“So how can we create an experience that is highest and best used for a more transient community than a more destination community?” he said.
“We’re going to be expanding our travel center businesses that will, again, cater to that community,” he said. “We’re looking at food and beverage options. We’ve replaced approximately 12 percent of our slot machines there. Our company as a whole has about 3,200 slot machines. We’ve replaced about 400 of them as part of a new plan to reinvigorate the properties.”
Massive sign
To draw attention, the company is building a new marquee.
“If you drive by it, you might see there’s construction of what will be a 100-foot-by-60-foot marquee sign that will help draw attention to the property and bring people in,” he said.
Butera said Affinity is adding significantly to its senior management team.
“We’ve added positions that previously didn’t exist like head of gaming. We’ve added player development positions, new marketing positions, business intelligence positions. So we’re undergoing quite a change, all for the better,” he said.
Butera began his career as an investment banker in 1992. Many of his clients were affiliated with gaming companies, which drew him into the industry. During his career, he had executive roles with Trump Entertainment Resorts, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Tropicana Entertainment Inc., Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, MGM Resorts International and Fubo Gaming.
At Fubo, his emphasis was on sports wagering and when he first arrived at Affinity, he took over the Daily Racing Form, a publication founded more than 100 years ago that analyzes horseracing results. During his time at MGM, he was with the company’s interactive group that developed the foundation of what is now BetMGM.
He also served three years as commissioner of the Arena Football League.
In April, he was named president and CEO of Affinity, which also owns and operates the Silver Sevens in Las Vegas as well as Buffalo Bill’s and Primadonna in Primm. In December, a third Primm property, Whiskey Pete’s, was closed so that the company could focus on other resources.
Regulators asked Butera about the company offering discounted hotel rooms during the Southern California fires.
“Obviously we were quite moved by what happened in Southern California,” Butera said. “It obviously was quite tragic and devastating. So whatever we could do to help that community, we offered discounted rates. And also, we waived any fees associated with pets. You know, a lot of families when they get displaced from their homes obviously have pets to take care of. I have two dogs. I love them more than anything in the world. So, you know, that was a great thing that we could do and we were happy that people came and took advantage of it.”
Butera said Affinity controls about 15 of the 200 acres that constitute Primm.
“We have a great relationship with the Primm family, who owns the majority of the land out there,” he said. “We work very well with the family, and the whole idea is how can we position Primm to take advantage of what’s going to happen in the next 10 years. What you see now kind of harkens to the last two decades. And now we’re looking at what do we do to make it a better fit for the next and the upcoming decades.”
Near planned airport
The long-term future for Primm is that it will be nearby the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport, which is projected to be built between Jean and Primm and open by 2037.
Buffalo Bill’s has some attractions that have generated interest over the years. It’s home to the Desperado, once the tallest roller coaster in the world. The property also has the 6,500-seat Star of the Desert Arena, which features a variety of entertainment.
A shopping mall at the Primm properties closed, but people still make their way to Primm when California lottery jackpots hit high levels. Primm straddles the California-Nevada state line and a convenience store on the California side of the line does booming business for lottery ticket sales whenever the jackpot soars.
Buffalo Bill’s also displays the car in which notorious outlaws Bonnie and Clyde Barrow died. Regulators asked Butera about the car.
“It’s at Primm in Buffalo Bills,” he said. “It’s pretty cool. It’s got a lot of bullet holes in it.”
