Hard Rock Rockford Casino Opens, Secures Bus Stop With City’s Mass Transit Agency

Posted on: August 29, 2024, 01:00h. 

Last updated on: August 29, 2024, 01:46h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Illinois will soon become more accessible for city residents who don’t drive or have regular access to a vehicle or another mode of transportation.

Hard Rock Rockford Illinois casino
Hard Rock Casino Rockford opens to the public today, Aug. 29, 2024. The Illinois casino will also soon be served by public transportation. (Image: Casino.org)

The Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD), the public transportation provider for the fifth-most populated city in Illinois, will begin serving the newly opened Hard Rock Casino on Sunday, September 1. RMTD officials say several bus routes will undergo slight reroutes to serve the casino, as well as Rockford University and the AMC movie theater along E. State St.

The service changes are a result of ongoing rider and community feedback that RMTD has received. RMTD anticipates the changes will improve access to employment, educational, health, and retail opportunities for the community, while further helping to eliminate transportation barriers for those who are challenged with them,” an RMTD release explained.

The Hard Rock entertainment destination will be served by several bus lines, including the #11 E. State St., #18 Bell School Rd., #19 CherryVale Mall., #32 E State St., and #42 E. State St. routes.  

Grand Opening 

Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, is officially opening Hard Rock Casino Rockford today. The casino will open to the public around  3 p.m. local time.

A media tour is wrapping up, with the casino’s first guests waiting outside to be among the first to play one of the facility’s 1,300 slot machines and 50 live dealer table games. The Rockford casino additionally offers a Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook and poker room.

While Hard Rock Casino Rockford doesn’t have an on-site hotel, it features six restaurants and bars, a Rock Shop with Hard Rock memorabilia and swag, and the 23,000-square-foot Hard Rock Live concert space that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests for live entertainment. The Hard Rock Live room is also available for meetings and events rentals. 

Community Partner 

The United States Census Bureau reports that Rockford, home to about 147K people, has a poverty rate above 21% despite the city being home to several affluent neighborhoods. Hard Rock has hired about 400 people to run its newest casino, which should help ease the city’s high poverty position.

Hard Rock is still seeking a few more bandmates for its Rockford operation. Among the remaining 33 available positions are a casino cage supervisor, bartenders and servers, table game dealers, cashiers, a poker room supervisor, security officers, floor attendants, and an assistant manager of casino operations.

Hard Rock says it has already integrated into the community after operating a temporary casino in town from November 2021 until its closure earlier this month. Company reps say the provisional gaming space resulted in millions of gaming tax dollars for the city and allowed Hard Rock to donate more than $1 million to almost 100 local charities and nonprofits during the past year.

One of Hard Rock Rockford’s notable investors is Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen, an Illinois native who co-founded the band in Rockford in 1973.

The casino’s entrance includes the title of one of the band’s iconic tracks, “I Want You to Want Me.” Hard Rock Rockford additionally welcomes guests with a 62-foot guitar that honors Nielsen and Cheap Trick.