Desperado is a steel roller coaster located at Buffalo Bill's Hotel and Casino, part of the Primm Valley Resorts complex, in Primm, Nevada, United States. Designed by Arrow Dynamics and fabricated by Intermountain Lift, Inc., Desperado opened as the tallest roller coaster in the world in 1994, which was recognized by Guinness Book of Records in 1996. The hypercoaster is ranked as one of the longest coasters in the world, featuring a track length of . It stands tall with a drop, and the ride exerts up to 4 G's when reaching its maximum speed of .
A portion of the ride runs indoors through the main area of the casino. Desperado has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in February 2020. It still receives regular maintenance, and the casino has expressed intentions to eventually reopen the ride.
History Gary Primm opened a casino called Buffalo Bill's on May 14, 1994, and he wished to attract people driving on adjacent Interstate 15 to his new casino. Primm contracted Arrow Dynamics to build a highly visible roller coaster. The ride opened to the public on August 11, 1994, as one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the world. The ride's lift hill was the tallest in the world, second behind only the Pepsi Max Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England that opened the same year. Its drop length of and top speed of were tied in the country with Kennywood's Steel Phantom, which also featured a drop and top speed of . The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Desperado in its 1996 publication as the tallest roller coaster in the world.
For his Top Secret special that first aired on February 24, 1999, magician Lance Burton staged a death-defying escape in a stunt where he was tied to the roller coaster's track and had to break out of handcuffs in order to escape.
In February 2020, due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Buffalo Bill’s Casino was temporarily closed, along with Desperado and their log flume which closed indefinitely. The casino reopened on December 23, 2022, but Desperado remained closed. In 2023, it was reported that the roller coaster would be part of a casino-wide refurbishment, in an effort to bring back previous guests. Casino general manager Jerry West stated that the ride had been kept properly maintained and functional during the nearly three-year closure, with test runs occurring regularly. He added that the coaster will be subject to a "sign-off process" involving legal and mechanical inspections before reopening.
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