The illinois Gaming Board has voted 4-0 to grant a license to 815 Entertainment and Hard Rock for a permanent casino in Rockford. The temporary casino will be replaced with a bigger and better casino.
Gambling News states that the license gives the operator two years to complete the construction of the new property.
Hard Rock has overcome a number of challenges in Illinois to get this far. The site for the new casino has already been picked out, but there are still obstacles to cross.
"Hard Rock Casino Rockford cannot commence construction on or begin gaming at the proposed facility without first submitting the required disclosures and receiving the request and receiving the appropriate IGB approval."
Illinois Gaming Board
Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International, stated that the $310 million casino project would provide 1,200 permanent jobs and an additional 1,000 during construction.
On June 28, 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill to expand gaming in Illinois. This will allow a casino to be built in six Illinois areas, including Rockford.
The first two months of the temporary casino's operations show the viability of local gambling. The casino generated $8.46 million in revenue during November and December. In just its first 22 days of operation, the temporary casino brought in $4.14 million in revenue.
The temporary casino must pay slightly more than $1 million in state taxes and $504,000 in local taxes.
This approval comes at a time when the Beloit casino resort project of the Ho-Chuck Nation is still pending approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Native American nation is still waiting for the final stage of the initiated transfer of land into trust before it is able to break ground in Beloit and start the construction of the planned casino.
The permanent Hard Rock casino is targeted to see ground broken this spring. Currently, local residents can visit a temporary gambling facility that will remain operational until the permanent casino starts operation.
There are more than 600 slot machines and electronic table games in the temporary Rockford casino. There are no table games at this time.
WREX reports that the license granted for the permanent casino gives a two year window to complete construction on the permanent site.
In October of 2019, city leaders voted in favor of a plan from Hard Rock International to submit to the Illinois Gaming Board. The decision to approve or deny the project was supposed to be made by October of 2020, but was pushed back six months due to Covid-19.
In June of 2020, the casino's temporary location got the green light from the IGB to begin construction inside the former Giovanni's Restaurant and Convention Center.
According to My State Line, Hard Rock International has committed to incorporate the following:
- A music production studio at Washington Park Community Center
- Build an outdoor amphitheater at Levings Lake
- Provide enhanced performance opportunities
- Make improvements to the Sinnissippi Music Shell
- Provide support for neighborhood youth programs
An article in Casino Games states that the President of the Hard Rock Casino, Geno lafrate, described the recent gambling watchdog's approval as another milestone toward bringing the long-time casino dream of Rockford to life. He also stated that a project of this scale involves a complex approval process with many stakeholders involved. Mr. lafrate also explained that the company would continue to work in close collaboration with the Illinois Gaming Board and the other competent authorities in order to make sure that the new permanent Hard Rock Casino meets the legislative requirements and exceeds expectations of both regulators and customers.
See DataBid Blog titled - Hard Rock Casino Project in Rockford Moves Forward
See DataBid Blog titled - Temporary Hard Rock Casino to Begin Construction in Rockford