Rockford Casino: A Hard Rock Opening Act added craps on Dec. 22, 2023, at 610 N. Bell School Road. (Photo provided by Hard Rock Casino Rockford)

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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Numbers at a glance | 2023 Hard Rock Casino

• $69,124,889 gross gambling revenue, a 26% increase from 2022
• 613,113 admissions, a 32% increase from 2022
• $4,069,357 local tax revenue share, a 27% increase from 2022

ROCKFORD — Hard Rock Casino’s gambling revenue grew by 26% last year, aided by the addition of live table games and a record December that had multiple days at maximum capacity.

The casino’s revenue growth was the largest of any casino in the state both by percentage and total dollar amount, according to data compiled from the Illinois Gaming Board. Rockford Casino: A Hard Rock Opening Act, 610 N. Bell School Road, reaped $69.1 million in gross gambling revenue in 2023, an increase of $14.37 million.

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The next largest growth in Illinois by percentage was a 13% increase at Bally’s Quad Cities Casino & Hotel in Rock Island. The next largest by total dollar amount was $9.9 million at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, which is the state’s biggest casino earning $538.6 million in 2023.

Hard Rock added live table games such as blackjack and three-card poker in April, and those games brought in a total of nearly $3.7 million last year. In December, the casino rolled out craps. It also saw revenue growth from its slots machines and electronic table games.

The casino had more than 613,000 admissions last year, an increase of 32%.

“Our membership in our Unity loyalty program has been on a phenomenal growth path,” said Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Rockford. “We opened with zero people in our database, and that’s in the tens of thousands and approaching 100,000 pretty rapidly.”

The state gaming board releases revenue data each month on total gross receipts, admissions and tax revenue generated at each of the 15 casinos in Illinois. The state doesn’t release data from other components of the operation, such as food and beverage revenue. Iafrate said it was a record year for that, too.

“We have hundreds if not thousands of people on a monthly basis that don’t gamble at all,” he said. “They just come because they enjoy our $9.99 prime rib, or they want to sit in Midway and have one of our 24 draft beers and have a great burger and watch a football game.”

The casino brought in a record $6.5 million in December, topping the previous high mark of $6.2 million in April when table games debuted.

The casino and its parking lot was packed on numerous Saturdays in December as its Queen of Hearts card draw promotion grew to record levels. The prize pool totaled $94,000 when it was won in late December.

“We had three different Saturdays in December where we were at capacity from an occupancy standpoint,” Iafrate said. “And that does not include New Year’s, which was on a Sunday.”

Related: Hard Rock prepares to hire 400 more employees for future Rockford casino

Taxes on gaming at the casino brought in more than $4 million in local tax revenue last year. The lion’s share of that, about $2.8 million, goes to the city of Rockford. Under the terms of a revenue sharing agreement Rockford gets 70% of the local tax revenue, while Winnebago County receives 20% and Loves Park and Machesney Park get 5% each. The casino also paid $11.9 million in taxes to the state from gambling revenue alone.

Rockford contributes $1.5 million of casino revenue annually to Rockford Promise, a nonprofit that provides free college tuition for qualified students to attend Northern Illinois University. The additional revenue goes into the general operating fund.

Mayor Tom McNamara said City Council members will likely begin discussions in late summer, as the full casino and resort’s opening day nears, about how to best use the additional revenue. The city estimates it will receive about $8.9 million annually in total revenue from gambling taxes and other sources such as sales tax and food and beverage sales by the fifth year of the casino.

McNamara gave credit to Hard Rock for numerous philanthropic efforts in the city, including funding a music studio at Washington Park Community Center, a new stage for Live at Levings, a 10-year investment in Rockford Park District youth program services, donations to the Family Peace Center, Coronado Performing Arts Center and other organizations.

“They’ve spread their wealth and investment to numerous organizations throughout the city of Rockford,” McNamara said. “They’ve been fantastic. They’ve met and exceeded our expectations.”

Hard Rock opened its interim casino inside the former Giovanni’s on Nov. 10, 2021. That will continue to operate up until the day the full 180,000-square-foot casino at East State Street and Interstate 90 opens in late summer. Hard Rock plans to have a grand opening celebration by Labor Day.

“Right up until the last minute before we close it, it has to feel like it’s going to be open forever,” Iafrate said. “We’re going to continue to focus on the Opening Act as if it’s going to run in perpetuity, and continue to have exciting events and promotions and food and entertainment.”

By the numbers | Hard Rock Casino

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas