Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s first full month in business draws 157K admissions

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s first full month in operation brought in more than 157,000 admissions and generated more than $843,000 in local gaming taxes.

Both of those numbers more than double the record highs Hard Rock saw during the nearly three years it operated its interim casino on Bell School Road. The new casino, a 175,000-square-foot gambling and entertainment venue at 7801 E. State St., also brought in more than $13.7 million in gaming revenue in September, according to new Illinois Gaming Board data.

“Anyone whose walked through that facility has seen the care and the craftsmanship that all the workers put into it,” Mayor Tom McNamara said. “I think they’re bringing world class acts coupled with local entertainment and great food — and I’m not shocked that they’re surpassing wildly the expectations that they set out.”

Related: City Council OKs 9 ways to spend $7M in guaranteed Hard Rock Casino tax revenue

The Illinois Gaming Board provides monthly reports on all 15 of the state’s casinos’ total admissions, adjusted gross receipts and how much tax revenue is generated for local municipalities and the state.

Hard Rock ranked No. 2 in the state in September behind Rivers Casino, which is just a couple miles from O’Hare International Airport, in every category.

Rivers Casino brought in $41.5 million in revenue in September with 257,408 admissions. Ranking third was Bally’s in Chicago, which had 120,726 admissions and generated $10.3 million in revenue.

“We are very pleased with our initial month of operation,” said Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford. “We’re focused on building on that momentum and bringing even more guests to Rockford to enjoy the Hard Rock. …

“Our work is not done. We’ve got to take this momentum and build on it and make these numbers even better.”

Hard Rock’s admission numbers put it on track to be one of the most visited attractions in the Rockford region, said John Groh, president and CEO of GoRockford.

Rock Cut State Park, which estimates its visitor numbers based on use, has about 1.4 million guests a year. Mercyhealth Sportscore Two in Loves Park draws similar numbers.

“It doesn’t surprise me. I have heard from countless people in the community and from people in the suburbs who have come in,” Groh said. “I think there is a high curiosity factor right now, and everybody who has come in said it has exceeded their expectations.

“From the restaurants to the entertainment and everything on the gaming floor, they were impressed. Some people who just got back from Vegas said it was a casino on the level of that quality of experience and something they would definitely repeat visiting again.”

Some of the entertainment featured in September at Hard Rock Live, the 1,600-seat entertainment venue at the casino, included Brad Paisley, Teddy Swims and Brian McKnight, as well as a host of local musical acts.

The state’s numbers don’t reveal where people who came to Hard Rock visited from. Groh said he wants to learn more about the number of outside-of-the-community visitors.

At the previous interim casino, more than 40% of visitors were from outside of 60 miles from Rockford, Iafrate said. He expects the new casino to have an even higher percentage than that.

“I hope after they visit the casino they’re getting out and going to additional places in the community,” he said, “and if they’re not we’re sure glad that their taxes are.”

City Council members on Monday night approved the first annual spending plan for the $7 million in guaranteed tax revenue that Hard Rock will pay to Rockford.

The plan comprises of nine initiatives, ranging from expanding the Rockford Promise college scholarship program to investing in economic development and alleviating some of the financial pressures on the city’s biggest pension funds.

Hard Rock Casino opened to long lines of eager visitors on Aug. 29, and it had major musical acts each day for its grand opening over Labor Day weekend.

This month’s biggest draw is expected to be The Black Crowes, an Atlanta-based rock band that had its first hits in the early 1990s. They are slated to perform Oct. 25.

Iafrate said Hard Rock, all at once, added a multitude of amenities to the region: seven new restaurants, a concert venue and banquet facility, a boutique poker room, a sportsbook, as well as additional slots and table games.

“You can’t discount, in the middle of all that, the power of the Hard Rock brand,” Iafrate said. “We have over 90% worldwide brand recognition. The power of the Hard Rock brand, we don’t want to underestimate that.”

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