Good morning, Chicago.
Hard Rock Rockford had a huge debut at its new permanent casino, jumping from ninth to second in Illinois in both gaming revenue and visitors during its first full month.
The sprawling entertainment complex generated $13.7 million in adjusted gross receipts and drew more than 157,000 visitors for September, topping every casino in the state but perennial leader Rivers Casino Des Plaines, according to data released yesterday by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford, said the meteoric monthly rise was in the cards.
“We had no expectations of jumping over Rivers — that’s a pretty tall order,” Iafrate said. “But to be honest, we fully expected to move into second place. Our first full month of operations was very successful.”
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Robert Channick.
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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul speaks at a press conference in May. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
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