| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment & Hospitality |
| Founded | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. (1987) |
| Headquarters | Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| Key people | David D. Ross (CEO) |
| Products | Casino Games Resorts |
| Website | herbstgaming.com |
Affinity Gaming, formerly known as Herbst Gaming, is a casino and slot route operator based in Paradise, Nevada, United States that operates under the name Terrible's. It shares its logo and headquarters with the family-owned Terrible Herbst Oil Company gas station franchise.
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The business traces it roots to the Terrible Herbst Oil Company founded in 1959 by Ed Herbst (grandfather of the current owners) which owns gasoline stations throughout Nevada, California, Utah and Arizona.[1] The stations bear the logo of a "terrible" cowboy wearing a handlebar mustache and black hat.[2]
In 1987 Herbst Gaming was formed by brothers Ed Herbst, Troy Herbst and Tim Herbst (grandchildren of the patriarch) to service the slot machines in the stations.
In 1997 it opened its first casino the Town Casino in Pahrump, Nevada and the Casino and Bowl in Henderson, Nevada. This was followed by the Lakeside Casino in Pahrump in 1999, the Terrible's Hotel and Casino (formerly the Continental Hotel and Casino) in 2000 in Paradise, Nevada and Searchlight Casino in 2003.[3]
On December 8, 2002, Terrible Herbst Gaming agreed to buy International Game Technology's Anchor Coin 1,100 machine slot routes.
In 2005 it acquired three Midwest casinos in St. Joseph, Missouri, La Grange, Missouri and Osceola, Iowa from Grace Entertainment for $287 million.[4] Grace was a Midwest contractor who had developed racing and casino operations there.[5]
In May 2006 Sands Regent announced plans be acquired by Terrible Herbst Gaming. In January 2007, Herbst purchased four casinos including the Red Hawk Sports Bar,[6] Sands Regent and Rail City Casino for $119 million.
In 2006 it also acquired Primm Valley Resorts from MGM Mirage for $400 million. [7] The sale closed on April 10, 2007. In 2007 it acquired the Sands Regency Casino Hotel in northern Nevada and Primadonna Resorts south of the Las Vegas area.
In 2008 Ed Herbst was replaced by Tim Herbst as chairman and Troy Herbst as CEO.[8]
The operations of the two companies in 2008 represented 80 gasoline stations, 600 different slot route locations.[9]
In March 2009 Herbst announced its plans to enter a pre-arranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy whereby it would keep its slot routes but give ownership of its casinos to its creditors thus splitting its current operations into two holding companies. Herbst would continue to manage the casinos.[10] Herbst emerged from Chapter 11 on December 31, 2010 under new ownership and changed its name to Affinity Gaming, LLC on May 20, 2011.[11]
In September 2011, Affinity agreed to sell the Terrible's Town Casino and Terrible's Lakeside Casino & RV Park in Pahrump and much of its slots route operations to Golden Gaming.[12] Golden in turn agreed to sell to Affinity three casinos in Black Hawk, Colorado: the Golden Gates, Golden Gulch, and Golden Mardi Gras.[12] On the same day, Affinity announced the sale of the Terrible's Searchlight casino and the remainder of its slots routes to JETT Gaming, owned by the Herbst family.[12]