Whiskey Pete's

Whiskey Pete's was a hotel and casino in Primm, Nevada, near the California state line on Interstate 15. It was opened in 1977 by Ernest Jay Primm and became the first casino established in the area then known as State Line. The property was named for Pete MacIntyre, a local gas-station operator associated in regional lore with bootlegging during Prohibition. That story supplied the Whiskey Pete character and helped give the resort a distinctive frontier and outlaw-themed identity. The property operated as part of the Primm Valley Resorts complex alongside Primm Valley Resort and Buffalo Bill's. Its business combined lodging, casino gaming, restaurants, highway-oriented travel services and entertainment. At the time of its closure, the hotel had 777 rooms and suites, a swimming pool, a gift shop and four restaurants. The casino covered approximately 34,800 square feet and included a race and sports book. The resort also provided free shuttle transportation to the other Primm properties and was historically connected to Primm Valley Resort by a cross-interstate monorail. A major expansion in 1993 added a new hotel tower. Whiskey Pete's also became known for displaying the automobile associated with the 1934 deaths of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The vehicle was exhibited at several properties over time, including Whiskey Pete's, Primm Valley Resort and Buffalo Bill's, and its location changed as the resorts and exhibitions were reorganized. The attraction reinforced the property's broader association with American outlaw folklore and roadside tourism. Whiskey Pete's was also connected to several notable local events. In late 1998, the roof of its parking garage was offered as a base for Valley Hospital's Flight for Life helicopter service. In November 1987, a seven-year-old child, Alexander Harris, was reported missing from the property's video arcade; a body was found off the property about a month later. Howard Lee Haupt was arrested on suspicion in the case but was acquitted in 1989. This incident remains part of the property's documented history, although it did not result in a criminal conviction. The hotel-casino closed on December 20, 2024, ending its operation as an active hospitality and gaming venue. In March 2025, Clark County authorized a plan allowing the hotel to remain closed for an extended period, initially up to two years with possible extensions totaling as much as three years. The reported redevelopment direction for the Primm properties was to emphasize travel resources for motorists coming from California, with the proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport also cited as a factor in future planning. Because the building's long-term reuse and the final disposition of the brand remain unsettled, Whiskey Pete's is best classified as a defunct hotel-casino brand with an uncertain redevelopment outcome.

Whiskey Pete's developed from the Primm family's effort to establish a casino and lodging destination at the Nevada-California border. Before the resort existed, the area was associated with Pete MacIntyre, a gas-station owner whose business reportedly struggled and who was reputed to supplement his income through bootlegging. Local tradition remembered him as Whiskey Pete. Stories about his death in 1933, including the claim that he wished to be buried upright with a bottle of bootleg liquor so he could watch over the area, became part of the property's folklore. His reported grave was later disturbed during construction work and was said to have been relocated to a cave associated with his moonshine activities. Ernest Jay Primm opened Whiskey Pete's in 1977. It was the first casino in the settlement then called State Line, which was later renamed Primm. The resort's location beside Interstate 15 made it particularly dependent on passing traffic between Southern California and Las Vegas. Its offer combined casino gaming, hotel accommodation, food service and roadside amenities rather than relying solely on destination gaming. A new hotel tower was added in 1993 as part of a major expansion. During the resort's mature operating period, the hotel reached 777 rooms and suites. Its facilities included a swimming pool, gift shop, four restaurants and a casino of approximately 34,800 square feet with a race and sports book. Whiskey Pete's operated in a resort cluster with Primm Valley Resort and Buffalo Bill's. Free shuttle buses linked the properties, and a single-car monorail connected Whiskey Pete's with Primm Valley Resort across Interstate 15. The monorail used UniTrak technology supplied by Schwager-Davis and was retrofitted in 1996. It was designed to carry approximately 1,200 passengers per hour in each direction, with trains arriving every three to five minutes. The service was no longer operating by at least 2016. The property also served as a venue for attractions that broadened its appeal beyond gambling. The automobile associated with Bonnie and Clyde's fatal ambush was displayed in the lobby for extended periods. The car moved among Primm Valley properties and other exhibition sites over the years, including Primm Valley Resort, Terrible's Gold Ranch Casino in Verdi and Buffalo Bill's. Its presence made Whiskey Pete's part of a recurring roadside attraction circuit centered on outlaw history and popular mythology. The property's fictionalized legacy also appeared in Fallout: New Vegas, where the Vikki and Vance Casino drew inspiration from Whiskey Pete's and its Bonnie-and-Clyde-related exhibit. Whiskey Pete's history also includes the 1987 disappearance of Alexander Harris, a seven-year-old visitor reported missing from the property's arcade. A body was found off the property approximately one month later. Howard Lee Haupt was arrested on suspicion, but the resulting case ended with his acquittal in 1989. The event is documented as a serious incident associated with the property, not as a proven act by the resort or its operators. The resort closed on December 20, 2024. In March 2025, Clark County approved an extended closure framework allowing the hotel to remain shut for an initial period of up to two years, with two possible six-month extensions. The reported redevelopment concept was to reposition the Primm properties as more practical travel resources for motorists arriving from California. Plans for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport were also cited as a possible influence on the area's redevelopment. The closure and proposed reuse mean that Whiskey Pete's no longer functions as an operating hotel-casino, while the ultimate future of its buildings and brand remains unresolved.

• 2025

  Extended closure approved

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  Clark County approved an extended closure framework while the operator pursued possible redevelopment of the Primm properties.

• 2024

  Hotel-casino closes

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  Whiskey Pete's closed on December 20, ending its operation as an active hotel and casino.

• 2011

  Death car returns to Whiskey Pete's

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  The automobile associated with Bonnie and Clyde's deaths returned to Whiskey Pete's after earlier exhibitions at other properties.

• 1998

  Flight for Life base proposal

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  The roof of the parking garage was offered as a potential base for Valley Hospital's Flight for Life helicopter service.

• 1996

  Monorail retrofit

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  The cross-interstate monorail linking Whiskey Pete's and Primm Valley Resort was retrofitted using UniTrak technology.

• 1993

  Hotel tower expansion

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  A new hotel tower was constructed as part of an expansion of the property.

• 1989

  Haupt acquitted

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  Howard Lee Haupt, who had been arrested on suspicion in the Harris case, was acquitted.

• 1987

  Alexander Harris disappearance

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  Seven-year-old Alexander Harris was reported missing from the property's video arcade. A body was found off the property the following month.

• 1977

  Whiskey Pete's opens

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  Ernest Jay Primm opened Whiskey Pete's as the first casino in the area then known as State Line.

• 1933

  Death of Pete MacIntyre

  [1]Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org

  Pete MacIntyre, remembered locally as Whiskey Pete and the namesake of the later resort, died. Stories about his bootlegging and burial became part of Primm's local folklore.

A highway-oriented Nevada hotel-casino positioned around affordable lodging, gaming, roadside convenience and outlaw-themed entertainment for travelers using Interstate 15 between Southern California and the Las Vegas region.

• Hospitality · 1977

  Hotel rooms and suites

  The property provided lodging for highway travelers and casino visitors. At the time of closure, its accommodation inventory consisted of 777 rooms and suites, supported by resort amenities including a swimming pool and access to the wider Primm Valley Resorts complex.

• Gaming · 1977

  Casino

  Whiskey Pete's operated a roughly 34,800-square-foot casino offering gaming facilities and a race and sports book. Gaming was the central commercial component of the hotel-casino's business model until the property closed in 2024.

• Food service and retail · 1977

  Restaurants and travel amenities

  The resort included four restaurants, a gift shop and a swimming pool. These facilities supported the property's role as a full-service stop for motorists traveling the Interstate 15 corridor between Southern California and the Las Vegas area.

• Attraction

  Bonnie and Clyde death-car exhibition

  The automobile associated with Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's deaths was displayed at Whiskey Pete's for extended periods. The exhibit helped establish the property as a roadside attraction built around American outlaw history and popular culture.

• Guest services · 1996

  Inter-property transportation

  Free shuttle buses connected Whiskey Pete's with Primm Valley Resort and Buffalo Bill's. A single-car monorail also crossed Interstate 15 to Primm Valley Resort, although the tram had ceased operating by at least 2016.

• 2025

  Pursue travel-oriented redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  After closure, the properties were considered for a different role serving motorists arriving from California. The proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport was also cited as a factor in redevelopment planning.

  Action taken

  Clark County authorized an initial closure period of up to two years, with possible extensions totaling as much as three years, while redevelopment plans were considered.

  Aftermath

  The future use of Whiskey Pete's remained unresolved, and the brand did not resume hotel-casino operations in the available reference material.

  Source

• 2024

  Close the hotel-casinoStrategy

  Background

  The property faced a changing travel and resort environment in Primm.

  Action taken

  Whiskey Pete's ceased operations on December 20, 2024.

  Aftermath

  The property became defunct as a hotel-casino and entered a period of potential redevelopment.

  Source

• 1996

  Upgrade the resort transportation linkStrategy

  Background

  Whiskey Pete's and Primm Valley Resort were separated by Interstate 15, creating a need for convenient movement between the properties.

  Action taken

  The connecting monorail was retrofitted with UniTrak technology and operated as a single-car system.

  Aftermath

  The system was designed for frequent service and capacity of approximately 1,200 passengers per hour in each direction, but it was no longer operating by at least 2016.

  Source

• 1993

  Expand the hotel with a new towerStrategy

  Background

  The resort was operating in a highway-oriented casino market and sought to increase its lodging capacity.

  Action taken

  A new hotel tower was constructed as part of a property expansion.

  Aftermath

  The expanded property ultimately operated with 777 rooms and suites.

  Source

1. 1Whiskey Pete'sen.wikipedia.org