Terrible's (2000–2013)
In late 1999, the Continental was purchased by the Herbst family, owners of the local Terrible Herbst gas station chain. The family also had a gaming division which operated as a statewide slot route operator, and also oversaw Terrible's-branded casinos in Pahrump, Nevada.[18][19][20]
The Continental marked an opportunity for the family to open their first gaming property in Las Vegas, as it was too small for locals casino operators Station Casinos and Coast Casinos, but too big for other, smaller slot route operators to acquire.[19] The Herbsts launched a renovation of the casino, demolishing its interior while keeping the outer shell.[21] The cost of acquisition and renovation was $65 million.
The hotel-casino reopened on December 6, 2000,[22][23] as Terrible's Hotel Casino. The renovated property included 750 slot machines,[24] a bingo hall, a sportsbook, 370 rooms, and several restaurants,[22][25] including a buffet.[26] Terrible's hoped to attract locals, including workers on the nearby Las Vegas Strip, with tourists expected to make up 20 percent of the property's clientele.[27]
Some hotel rooms were demolished to make way for a parking garage and a hotel tower,[28][29] completed in 2007.
The casino's operating company, Herbst Gaming, filed bankruptcy in 2009, and emerged a year later with the Herbst family no longer involved. The company changed its name to Affinity Gaming in 2011,[30] and became Affinity Interactive 10 years later.[31]
An 18-month renovation was completed in January 2013, at a cost of $7 million. The project included work on the property's 327 rooms and the sportsbook,[32] and nearly 1,000 new slot machines were added to the casino.[33]
