Hard Rock International is pushing full steam ahead with its intention to open a new casino next year in Rockford, Illinois, and now we have been given a glimpse of what it will look like.

The future casino is expected to open in either August or September 2024, and artist photos of the property renderings were shown to officials during a recent meeting with Illinois’ main gaming authority — the Illinois Gaming Board. The board, which approved the original plans in 2021, will see the Hard Rock casino based at East State Street, which is close to the Interstate 90 exit.

But what will the new Hard Rock casino look like and what are the main features? In this article, we have given you the full lowdown on the rock n’ roll experience casino players can expect.

Grand entrance

As is generally the case, Hard Rock never takes any half measures, and regardless of the project, everything will have been thought out in meticulous detail. Covering over 180,000 square feet, the new Hard Rock casino is a bit of a behemoth, and standing at the front entrance will be an eye-catching 90-foot tall guitar which will take center stage.

Once completed, the casino floor will be home to 1,300 electronic games as well as 44 live dealer tables, encompassing blackjack, roulette, and six live poker tables, as well as an in-house sportsbook accepting wagers. Those hoping for a spot of food won’t be disappointed as there will be plenty of culinary options available, and this includes a steakhouse as well as an Asian restaurant.

If that wasn’t enough, a 1,600-seater entertainment venue is also in the pipeline, where visitors can attend live gigs and see their favorite artists perform.

And as you might expect, the site will have a 250-room hotel, and it will be the largest hotel in the Rockford region.

Expanding the empire

In essence, the new Hard Rock casino will breathe life into the Rockford area, and this is the latest sign of the Hard Rock Group flexing its financial muscle and expanding its casino empire. Known worldwide, Hard Rock has been central to the growth of brick-and-mortar casinos throughout the US and even the UK.

Meanwhile, there has been exponential growth in the US digital casino industry and the increase in revenue figures year on year across states where gambling is legalized reflects this. Currently, the US casino market is worth around $11billion, but what is intriguing, is that the UK boasts the largest regulated online gambling market in the world, generating a total gross revenue of around $12.5billion. This is quite surprising given the US is five times bigger population wise than the UK.

And the UK’s strength in the online casino world is reflected by the types of casinos that can be found on online-slot.co.uk. Here, you will find trusted operators such as Casushi Casino and LeoVegas Casino that will be swarmed with many of the latest and best casino games for gamblers to try out, and they provide fast withdrawals too.

Final Thoughts

While Hard Rock has been ambitious with what it hopes to achieve in Rockford, there is no disguising the fact that judging by the artist’s impression, the new site will be an incredible gaming environment, and there is a tangible sense of excitement in the air. Only time will tell as to how successful it will be.