Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Illinois opened in late August, boasting 1,300 slot machines, 50 live dealer table games, a Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, and a dedicated poker room. Operated by Hard Rock International, a subsidiary of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the casino has had a promising start, with the City of Rockford anticipating $7 million in local tax revenue for its first year.
City officials propose allocating the casino tax revenue to fund college scholarships for Rockford Public School District graduates, bolstering the police and fire departments, and supporting at-risk neighborhoods. The Rockford City Council will vote on these funding disbursements in the coming weeks.
The new casino features a 23,000-square-foot concert venue that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests, raising concerns about its impact on other local venues such as the city-owned Coronado Theatre and the BMO Center. The Rockford Area Venues & Entertainment Authority (RAVE), which operates the 2,300-seat Coronado and the multipurpose BMO Arena, revealed it hosted 156 events during its 2024 fiscal year, generating $4.4 million in revenue and a $359,000 surplus for local government.
RAVE is concerned that the casino’s new venue will poach events, projecting a revenue loss of $730,000 and an operating deficit of $318,000 for its 2025 fiscal year. The Coronado Theatre, in particular, is losing about half its usual bookings to Hard Rock, though larger shows like those of comedians Shane Gillis and Nate Bargatze will likely remain at BMO Center due to their capacity needs.
Despite the competition, Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate expressed a commitment to collaborating with the BMO and Coronado to make Rockford an entertainment hub. Furthermore, instead of building an on-site hotel, Hard Rock Rockford has established partnerships with neighboring hotels, including Radisson, Hilton Garden Inn, Marriott Courtyard, and Hampton, all located within a half-mile radius.
The casino’s physical property is owned by Gaming & Leisure Properties, a real estate investment trust controlled by Penn Entertainment. This entity acquired the property from 815 Entertainment—a local investment group that includes the Seminole Tribe and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen—for $100 million in August 2023. 815 Entertainment and the Seminoles have entered into a 99-year lease agreement with an initial rent of $8 million, which will increase by 2% annually, while retaining the operating profits of the casino.
