The temporary home of the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Illinois is expected to open in October, putting it slightly ahead of the opening of the HoChunk Nation’s casino in Beloit, Wisconsin, directly across the state line, said state Senator Dave Syverson.
“The good news is our temporary site’s going to be opened up before the end of the year so that puts us a little bit ahead of the game. Then it comes down to how quickly the state approves our permanent site and we can get that constructed. It’s probably, realistically two years away,” he said.
Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara stated, “We want to make sure that we’re the first and it looks like we’re going to do that. Lots of construction’s going on out at the temporary casino and they’re really moving forward with their benchmarks of 90-120 days to get that completed.”
The Beloit venue is awaiting the go-ahead from the federal government before it can open, Syverson noted. The Illinois Gaming Board has approved Hard Rock Rockford team members and supplier licenses, he said. “The last thing that would have to be done then would just be a site visit by the gaming board approving all the games and the set up and that would be done just before the grand opening,” Syverson said.
Regarding the permanent casino, Syverson said blueprints must be okayed by the city of Rockford and the Illinois Gaming Board.
Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said in May, Illinois residents spent more than $2 billion at casinos or video gambling establishments. Of that amount, the state received $228 million in revenue that will be used for road repair and education.
