Terrible Herbst founder and Chairman Jerry Herbst, a well-known figure in Southern Nevada gaming and retail for more than half a century, has died at the age of 80.
The Terrible Herbst logo, a scowling caricature of a cowboy with a drooping mustache and slouch hat attached to some 160 convenience stores, gas stations and multi-service car washes, has been one of the most recognizable sights in and around the Las Vegas Valley since Herbst launched the company in 1959.
He also was a fixture in gaming circles, founding Herbst Gaming, a locals operator in Southern Nevada and the regional U.S. markets, and later JETT Gaming, a Nevada slot route company that services Terrible Herbst retail outlets and other locations.
JETT was created in 2011 in a Chapter 11 restructuring of Herbst Gaming that led to the creation of publicly traded Affinity Gaming but left the Herbst family out of the business. In 2015, JETT purchased the Gold Strike Hotel and Gambling Hall in Jean, Nev., on Interstate 15 on the California state line. Recently rebranded Terrible’s Hotel & Casino, the property is supported by a 50,000-square-foot Terrible Herbst convenience store and 96 Chevron gas pumps billed as the largest Chevron station in existence.
Herbst was an avid racer in desert off-road competitions at one time and remained a fan throughout his life, founding Herbst Motorsports to continue the family’s involvement. He is enshrined in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the sport.
