LAS VEGAS -- A Nevada casino is making history by catering to the Latino community. Two years ago, Primm Valley Casino Resorts declared bankruptcy. Now, new owners are betting on a new market to survive the economic downturn.
Primm Valley, which is on the Nevada state line, is the first casino in the state to have blackjack games with bilingual dealers and rules printed in Spanish on gaming tables. The assistant vice president said it all started with Spanish entertainment about a year ago.
"Last October, we took the first big chance on the Hispanic side of things; we added Ramon Iella, who is a Hispanic accordion playing country person I've never heard of. We decided let's take a chance," said Stuart Richy, assistant general manager.
The move paid off with all three properties selling out. Now Richy says they're pushing for at least 12 to 15 popular Spanish entertainers per year. They've had close to a dozen shows since last year and say 70 percent have been sold out.
They also implemented signs in Spanish explaining slot credits and hired bi-lingual casino dealers to make the Latino community feel more comfortable.
"The Spanish entertainers were really, really good; they got big names here. The bilingual dealers; if you don't know a game they could help you; kinda walk you through what the game is," said David Garregos, tourist.
Garregos and his wife, who are from Orange County, California, spent their vacation in Primm. He went to a concert this past weekend featuring Espinoza Paz, a Mexican pop singer and composer.
This successful new niche didn't come without struggle. MGM sold the property in 2003 to Terrible's Herbst who went bankrupt in 2009. They've now transitioned to Affinity Gaming, LLC.
Primm Valley is about 30 miles from Las Vegas and about 80 miles from Baker, California.
