Hard Rock Rockford Will Be The Next New (Temporary) Casino In Illinois

After the Illinois Gaming Board ( IGB ) approved plans for a temporary casino at an old restaurant site last week, the Hard Rock Casino Rockford is one step closer to receiving an official license.

On Friday, a statement was issued by Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara.

“We are proud to be the first among the six games that were approved for development in 2019 to start building. This is a major source of motivation for us!”

Is the casino industry in Illinois gaining steam?

The 2019 gaming package permits the construction of six new casinos in Illinois. The specified locations are:

• Rockford
• Waukegan
• County of Williamson
• Danville
• Chicago
• South neighbourhoods

In February, the IGB deemed Hard Rock Rockford “preliminarily suitable” for a license. Similarly, Walker’s Bluff Casino in Williamson County was also found to be preliminarily suitable earlier this month.

Generally, the process for new casinos in Illinois has been progressing at a very slow rate. Among all new casino projects, Hard Rock Rockford is the most advanced.

State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) has announced that construction might begin as early as the coming week. Syverson, who has been an outspoken supporter of the Hard Rock Illinois project, has previously criticized the IGB for its sluggish approach.

“I have spent over 20 years working to bring this project to life, aware of the significant positive economic impact it would bring to the local area. Seeing this project finally gaining real momentum is extremely gratifying after all this time.”

Syverson stated that the temporary site for the Hard Rock Casino could be operational for a maximum of two years. The Rockford Register Star reported that the construction of this temporary location is anticipated to be completed in roughly three months.

In April, the IGB initially rejected Hard Rock’s application for a temporary casino. The gaming board discovered that the owner of Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center, where the temporary casino was planned to be, had been involved in a shooting incident in 2020 that had not been previously disclosed.

815 Entertainment, the project designer, purchased the building to resolve the issue.

What information is available about Hard Rock Casino Rockford?

The construction of the permanent casino at the intersection of State Street and I-90 is estimated to cost around $310 million.

The temporary facility is less than a mile away from That & rsquo. The ongoing game includes a Hard Rock Live entertainment venue and a gaming area of 64,000 square feet.

Furthermore, Hard Rock has pledged to provide at least $7 million annually from Rockford’s gaming revenue. The new Illinois game is expected to generate over 1,000 full- and part-time jobs overall.

Undoubtedly, Hard Rock Rockford is the leading candidate to be the next game built in Illinois.

a competition with the Wisconsin game

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers sanctioned a $405 million casino project in Beloit in the latter part of March. Rockford is approximately 20 miles distant from Beloit.

Consequently, the two games will compete for customers. Therefore, an initial launch could potentially yield significant long-term benefits.

Consequently, Syverson articulated his hope that the news about Beloit blackjack would serve as a wake-up call for the IGB. He also added:

“People will get used to visiting a casino like that if Wisconsin surpasses us and initiates the game, making it harder to attract them back.”

We can’t definitively say if a game in Wisconsin was the catalyst for the IGB to accelerate their work. Regardless, Friday was a significant moment for the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford.

The IGB took action as it wouldn’t want Wisconsin to diminish any probable tax revenue. Currently, it seems that the temporary casino of Hard Rock is the reason why it will be the second one to enter the market.