Rockford's temporary casino closes second full year with record revenue
Eight months from opening the Hard Rock Casino Rockford, the temporary casino on Bell School Road closed out its second — and final — full year of operations with a record month for revenue.
Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate said 2023 was a year of milestones for the Rockford Casino: A Hard Rock Opening Act. Although he looks forward to the opening of the permanent location, Iafrate said it will also be bittersweet.
“The new year will be exciting with the opening of the big joint, but it will also be sad to see the Opening Act close," Iafrate said.
Here is a look at highlights from 2023.
Record revenue
Rockford Casino was a financial success in 2023, collecting more than $69 million in revenue after gamblers were paid winnings. That is a 26% increase over the $54.8 million it collected in revenue in 2022. And data from the Illinois Gaming Board shows the casino ended the year by setting a monthly record in December with about $6.5 million in revenue. Iafrate said Rockford Casino had the largest growth year-over-year of all Illinois casinos in operation since Jan. 1, 2022.
Table games arrive
Responding to demand, casino table games in April arrived for the first time in Rockford. With a few dozen dealers needed to staff them, the number of casino workers swelled to more than 350 after opening in November 2021 with fewer than 300 employees. The Rockford Casino started with six live table games including four blackjack tables, one Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em table and one Three Card Poker table. Soon, that number grew to nine tables as Mini-Baccarat, Mississippi Stud and roulette were added. With the addition of a casino-favorite craps table just before Christmas, the temporary casino is now home to 10 live table games.
Unfinished business
Casino officials had hoped to open a sports book in Rockford in 2023, but that did not happen. It is taking longer than first expected to work through the regulatory process to open a live sports betting operation at the Rockford Casino and a Hard Rock electronic sports betting application. It is now anticipated to be coming sometime in early 2024. The sportsbook needs its internal control procedures tested and its employees licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board before it can open.
One million visits
The casino welcomed its millionth guest in November since opening in winter 2021. Visitors have come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and seven other countries and territories. There were 613,113 visits to the casino recorded in 2023, thats 32% more than the 463,960 visits of 2022. Some of those visitors shared in more than 15,000 slot jackpots totaling more than $37.7 million in 2023, Iafrate said.
More: Hungry for it? Hard Rock Casino Rockford to feature these 6 dining options
What's next
Construction of the 180,000-square-foot casino resort on East State Street at the Interstate 90 exit will continue through the winter, eyeing a late summer 2024 opening. The biggest challenge in the coming months will be hiring and training 400 new workers who will be needed to make the casino a success, Iafrate said. The full resort will open with a 65,000-square-foot casino with about 1,300 slot machines, a sportsbook and 44 table games featuring blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps among many others. It is also expected to feature a poker room of six tables. There will be a Hard Rock Café and Hard Rock Live event center that can serve as a 23,500-square-foot conference center or a roughly 1,600-seat live concert venue.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Hard Rock Casino Rockford: Record revenue in 2023, what's ahead in 2024
