Rockford Casino Celebrates 1 Year in Rockford with the Best Yet to Come

Rockford, IL – Hard Rock Casino Rockford opened the doors of its “Rockford Casino—A Hard Rock Opening Act” one year ago today near the corner of Bell School Road and East State Street in Rockford. The numbers show it’s a highly successful precursor to the permanent casino entertainment complex now underway one mile east on State Street and I-90.

Hard Rock unveiled the Rockford Casino—A Hard Rock Opening Act on November 10, 2021, with an exclusive tent-covered extravaganza including media, VIP’s and a cameo by iconic local rocker Rick Nielsen. Long lines awaited the casino doors’ opening and more than a thousand eager guests filed in throughout the day to experience the long-awaited 21,000-square-foot facility. Since then, nearly a half a million guests have enjoyed the 635 slot machines, electronic table games, Rock Shop and two restaurants.

“The Rockford Casino is an opening act that you don’t want to miss. We are attracting more visitors and greater tax revenue to the State of Illinois and the City of Rockford than we anticipated,” said Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s President Geno Iafrate. “From attendance numbers to community relationships, it’s a winner.”

In its first 12 months of operation, the Rockford Casino attracted local, national and international visitors, pushing the Casino to outpace some of the state’s permanent gambling operations. 

In the last 12 months, Hard Rock Casino Rockford generated:

• $10.8M in gaming taxes ($7.7M to state and $3.1M to local government)
• 458,033 people through the doors from opening day through October 2022
• 275 employees totaling $13.6M in payroll
• $21.8M awarded to lucky jackpot winners
• $100,000+ in charitable contributions (2 dozen charities supported)

“Hard Rock has exceeded our expectations as a wonderful corporate citizen in Rockford. In partnership with the City of Rockford, Hard Rock invested in the short and long-term success of the Rockford Park District plus brought significant and meaningful investment to the BMO Center, Coronado Performing Arts Center, Rockford Promise and the Family Peace Center, all of which make our community a better place for our residents,” said Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. “I’m grateful Hard Rock has quickly become a leading corporate citizen in our community, and I look forward to all we can accomplish together in the future. Congratulations on a successful first year!”

Iafrate expects Hard Rock’s commitment to the community to only grow with time, “The best is yet to come when we open the doors of the big joint—the 180,000-square-foot casino complex down the street. As Hard Rock’s footprint grows in Rockford, so will our commitment to the community.”

The permanent casino will feature more than 1,200 slots, dozens of live table games, a sports book, a Hard Rock Café and other restaurants, a Hard Rock Live entertainment venue, a Rock Shop, authentic music memorabilia, and a few other surprises. Hard Rock and local officials broke ground on the new casino September 28.

The project is expected to create approximately 1,200 construction-specific jobs and 1,000 full-time and part-time jobs.  

Learn more about this project and Rockford Casino: A Hard Rock Opening Act at www.hardrockcasinorockford.com. For the ultimate Rock Star experience, consider joining Unity by Hard Rock loyalty program and receive unique rewards and benefits at https://www.hardrockcasinorockford.com/unity. 

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About Hard Rock®:

Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in over 70 countries spanning 265 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Rock Shops®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digitalin 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 86,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe.

In 2022, Hard Rock Hotels was honored as the number one brand in Outstanding Guest Satisfaction for the second year in arow among Upper Upscale Hotels in J.D. Power’s North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study. This designation is the fourth consecutive year the iconic brand has been among top brands in this category. HRI is the first privately-owned gaming company designated U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal for the second year. Hard Rock was also honored as one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Women, Diversity and New Grads and a Top Large Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming, and Entertainment Industry. In 2021, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos received first place ranking in the Casino Gaming Executive Satisfaction Survey conducted by Bristol Associates Inc. and Spectrum Gaming Group for six of the last seven years. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.