Hard Rock and local leaders say there’s no need to fear a Beloit casino – but for different reasons

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Hard Rock Casino Rockford beat its neighbors to the north in Beloit by being the first near the state line to open a casino.

But even when Ho-Chunk Gaming opens its roughly $405 million casino — now estimated to happen in 2026 — Hard Rock executives as well as state and city political leaders say there’s nothing to fear for Rockford.

They have different reasoning for that outlook.

For city and state leaders, they say opening a casino first was an important advantage to build a customer base before a competitor opens less than 20 miles up the Interstate.

For Hard Rock Rockford executives, multiple attractions that draw visitors to the region is a potential benefit.

“If you look at all the major gaming markets in the United States, the one thing that they have in common — whether that’s Atlantic City, Biloxi, Las Vegas — the thing all those major markets have in common is concentration,” Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate told the Rock River Current. “When you create that concentration you’re attracting more and more visitors because we have our marketing budget, Ho Chunk will have their marketing budget, it’s great. …

“Long term I see it as a positive, absolutely.”

The Beloit City Council voted late last month to rezone land at the corner of Willowbrook and Colley roads just off Interstate 90 for the future casino and hotel. Ho-Chunk officials say the goal is to break ground in the fall and open in 2026.

“The fact that they beat out Wisconsin at building this casino means that at least for a couple more years, I think you’re going to find people are going to come here,” Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday while answering questions from reporters after Hard Rock’s opening. “Then, after that, because they’re going to see how great it is. Why would they go to a casino there when they can come here and they already know it’s great?”

Pritzker signed legislation in 2019 allowing for six new casinos, including the one in Rockford. He said Hard Rock opening before a casino in Wisconsin would further support the state’s growing tourism numbers.

“I’m a hyper-competitive person, I just want to be clear. I always when I run into the governor of Wisconsin, a really great guy, but I always needle him that we’re beating them,” Pritzker said at the Hard Rock opening celebration. “One of our goals with this project was to open our casino first so that we can attract residents from the other side of the state border to experience Illinois, enjoy our hospitality and our people, stay at our hotels, shop at our stores, eat at our restaurants.”

Beloit had already started working on a casino roughly 20 years ago as Rockford was pursuing a license of its own, state Sen. Dave Syverson said.

“They wanted to build it right on the border, right on I-90,” he said. “Their whole plan was that 75% of their revenue was going to come from Illinois.

“I said, I don’t care if you’re pro gambling or not — you should want Rockford because we can tax it and regulate it and keep the money here.”

Syverson said that Beloit’s future casino also illustrates why it was important for Hard Rock to be along the Interstate, rather than downtown as some had urged.

“Having it here means literally millions of dollars difference for this community,” Syverson said.

Revenue guarantees

There are other financial incentives for Rockford to beat Beloit to opening a casino.

The city’s host fee agreement guarantees Rockford $7 million annually in gambling tax revenue from Hard Rock Casino. However, that agreement allows for renegotiation if Beloit opens a casino and it adversely affects Rockford.

“The casino minimum gaming tax guarantee could face new negotiations or discussion if there is a casino within 50 miles and it has an adverse impact on the casino,” City Administrator Todd Cagnoni said, citing the agreement.

Mayor Tom McNamara said Hard Rock’s international brand was one of the big reasons the City Council chose it as its casino operator. He expects that brand to help draw tourists here even after Beloit’s casino opens.

“This is going to be a class act establishment,” McNamara said. “You couple that with the brand and the food and service options that are going to be provided, I know ours will do very well even if Beloit is there.”

John Groh, president and CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Rockford has an advantage by opening first. He, like McNamara, also sees an advantage in Hard Rock’s international brand.

There are 311 branded Hard Rock venues across the globe in 74 different countries

“There’s definitely a strong first mover advantage, so I’m very happy that Hard Rock is opening the Rockford casino before Beloit opens theirs,” Groh said. “I think we will always have the better hand over Beloit given the international brand that’s associated with Hard Rock.”

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