Janey's Lounge 1-year anniversary comedy show
What: Join Janey's Lounge as it celebrates one year of laughs, slots and late nights. It will mark its first anniversary with a comedy night featuring local stand-ups Joseph Christopher, Emilio Lopez, Joe O’Day, and special guest Luis Ramirez and Goose Gang.
Grab your friends, order up some of our crowd-favorite eats — crispy wings, cheesy pizzas, golden tater tots, and juicy tenders — and enjoy a night of non-stop laughs and good vibes. Come for the comedy, stay for the slots, food, and celebration.
When: 7-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10
Where: Janey’s Lounge, 6108 North Second St., Loves Park
Cost: $5
Hard Rock Casino Rockford has a new homage to Rick Nielsen. You can bet on it
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The latest homage to Hard Rock Casino Rockford's resident Rock & Roll Hall of Famer celebrates Rick Nielsen's renowned five-neck guitar with a classic five-reel slot machine.
The 76-year-old Cheap Trick rocker, who's known for his array of custom-made guitars, visited the casino on Thursday to unveil Rick Nielsen's Five Neck Fortune. The three new slot machines were designed in a collaboration between Nielsen and British artist Shannon MacDonald, who is known for her Beatles portraits and other rock star designs.
"From the second you pull up you know that this place is a tribute to Rick and to Cheap Trick," said Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford. "From the giant guitar out front to the chandelier, to the Cheap Trick (cast) right above our entrance, all of Rick's memorabilia in the center case. ... The Hard Rock Live venue is basically a mini Rick museum, with everything in that venue being Rick's."
But, the casino was lacking anything for Nielsen on the gambling side of its business, aside from $100 commemorative chips with Nielsen's silhouette and checkerboard pattern.
"So we decided to make a slot machine," Iafrate said.
The casino had been waiting for the still-touring musician to have a home stop so he could be here to unveil the new games. That finally happened Thursday, as Nielsen and Cheap Trick prepare to perform with Rod Stewart in Tinley Park on Friday before the tour moves on to Indiana and Michigan.
"Hard Rock loves entertainment, loves music. It's in our DNA," Iafrate said. "But how many Hard Rocks actually have a resident Rock & Roll Hall of Famer?"
Nielsen shook hands and took pictures with dozens of patrons, tossed out pockets full of guitar picks and watched the first players take their spins on the machine.
"I was sweating, nervous, but it was great," Linda Majewski said of having the famous rocker looking over her shoulder while she played. "It was exciting. It's part of Rockford and you have to have the history at the casino here, just like the Rockford Peaches on the other side."
Rick's Five Neck Fortune is an IGT stepper slot with a classic S2000 cabinet. The machine has been redesigned with new reel strips, top glass and belly glass that ties into Nielsen's recognized style. It features four guitar symbols, with the five-neck guitar acting as a 3X wild symbol and top-paying combination. With a nine-line, high-denomination setup, the game offers a maximum jackpot of 22,500 credits.
"These games were from the early 2000s, there's less and less of them out there these days," Iafrate said. "To be able to take three of these nostalgic games and convert them to Rick's Five Neck Fortune is pretty exciting for us, for Rick, for the Hard Rock and the community."
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
New slot games at Hard Rock Casino Rockford put you 'one lucky spin away from being a millionaire'
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A pair of new slot games at Hard Rock Casino Rockford boast the chance to turn someone into an instant millionaire.
The casino on Thursday unveiled two $1 million Dragon Link machines in its high-limit slot room. The games have a minimum bet of $25, or you can risk up to $2,500 per spin as you take aim at mini or major jackpots, including a grand prize that starts at $1 million.
"These machines are a game changer for Rockford and for our guests," said Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford, 7801 E. State St. "Just one lucky spin away from being a millionaire. We're thrilled to bring this level of play to our gaming floor."
Dragon Link is an Asian-themed series of games from slot machine maker Aristocrat Gaming. Hard Rock already had the versions that top out at a $188,888.88 jackpot. The new versions have a jackpot that starts at $1 million and can build up to $1,888,888.88. Eight is considered a lucky number in Chinese and other Asian cultures.
"We have multiple machines throughout the facility with $100,000 to $200,000-plus jackpots, but we needed that extra comma," Iafrate said. "We're an entertainment company, and how much more fun is it than winning a million dollars?"
The first official spins were made by Dianne Parvin and Tom Tendall, who have been guests at the Hard Rock Casino Rockford since it opened in its temporary spot on Bell School Road in November 2021. Tendall previously had the honor of locking the door to the temporary casino as its last official guest before Hard Rock opened its 175,000-square-foot casino and entertainment venue on Aug. 29.
"It takes a little bit of learning to figure out the dollar amounts and how much to play, but once you know that it's pretty easy — push the button," said Parvin, a local Realtor and former Winnebago County Board member.
Parvin was making $50 bets and walked away with $1,550 in winnings after her time on the machine Thursday morning.
Iafrate said he anticipates the high jackpots of the game to draw people here to play.
"We don't expect this game just to be people that used to play other games moving to this game, certainly you'll have some of that migration because it's such an exciting jackpot," Iafrate said. "But it is a draw and guests do seek out specifically the $1 million Dragon Link."
How it works
Dragon Link is what's know as a progressive slot game, where the jackpot increases with each spin until someone hits. It started creeping over $1 million as Tendall and Parvin took their first spins.
The goal is for players to land six or more dragon or fireball symbols in order to trigger a bonus round, where there are credit prizes as well as mini and major jackpots. If you fill all 15 slots in the three-by-five grid you'll have the chance to win the $1 million jackpot.
"Your heart goes crazy. Your heart just keeps beating and beating and thinking it's going to hit," Parvin said. "And it's going to hit sometime. It'll happen."
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
Slot revenue rose 3% in Rockford in 2024 to the second-highest total on record
https://infogram.com/video-gaming-1hxj48pxkym1q2v?live
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Revenue that bars, restaurants and slot parlors earned from video gaming in the city grew 3% last year, rising to the second-highest level in the 13 years that the gambling machines have been allowed in the state.
Net revenue from video gaming was $41.2 million in Rockford last year, up from $40 million in 2023, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. That's the second highest total after $47.4 million in 2021. Those figures don't include casino gambling.
That increase comes despite the Aug. 29 debut of Hard Rock Casino Rockford, which reaped in $97.6 million in 2024.
However, as pub and slot parlor owner Jay Gesner points out, the citywide slot revenue growth lagged the statewide increase. That, he said, could in part be due to Hard Rock's opening. Statewide, video gaming revenue was up 4% in 2024 from $2.88 billion to $3 billion.
Hard Rock opened its temporary casino in November 2021, the year video gaming revenue was at its peak in the city.
"People celebrate big occasions going to a casino now, rather than going to a parlor," said Gesner, who owns Stumpy's Pub, Souse's Lounge and two Miss Jill's gaming parlors. "The casual gamblers, we still get them at the bars and the parlors."
State Gaming Board numbers show slot revenue parlor didn't dip year-over-year in the months after Hard Rock opened its full casino at 7801 E. State St. In Rockford, slot parlor revenue was $13.4 million from September through the end of 2024. It was $13.1 million during the same time period in 2023.
In Loves Park, however, there was a dip in the months after the casino's entry. Loves Park venues took in $9.17 million during those four months in 2024 compared to $9.28 million in 2023. Overall, video gaming revenue was up 2% for the year in Loves Park to $28.1 million. It was also up slightly in Machesney Park and in unincorporated areas of Winnebago County.
"It's hard to say if the casino is having much impact on it," said Pete Gwizdala, president of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association and owner of Crazy Times Pub & Grub in Machesney Park. "I don't know that Hard Rock had a big effect on the gambling side. I think what Hard Rock has a bigger effect on is the nighttime entertainment. You're seeing more people go out there to listen to the local bands — hey, they're playing at the Hard Rock, let's go see them."
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Gesner said pubs and slot parlors have some advantages over the casino for clientele who prefer a smaller, quieter venue.
"People have their neighborhood parlor where they hang out. It's more of a social thing for them," Gesner said. "They also like that you don't have to get out in the cold and walk through a parking lot to get to their place."
Gwizdala said the beverage industry faces other economic challenges with higher minimum wages, increasing rents and other rising costs.
"Overall, I think the economy has softened quite a bit in the fourth quarter," he said. "I don't think people have the expendable income they had before."
In Loves Park and Machesney Park, some of the increase in video gaming revenue came with the addition of more venues. That means the revenue is split between more establishments, Gwizdala said. There were eight new venues in those communities while Rockford maintained its 96 establishments with gaming, according to state data.
"I truly believe you're going to see more and more of the slot parlors either have to reinvent themselves and add other revenue streams or they're just going to go out of business," Gwizdala said.
He said competition from the casino, particularly over the ability to hire workers and bring people in for late-night entertainment, is an added challenge. Another challenge awaits for communities in northern Winnebago County when the Ho-Chunk casino in Beloit opens in 2026.
"It's a different animal right now. We've got a lot of growing pains coming up," Gwizdala said. "I think when the Beloit casino opens up, it's just going to increase 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