Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Rockford’s new permanent casino posts big numbers
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Rockford’s new permanent casino posts big numbers

Wednesday, Oct 9, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Nexstar Media

Hard Rock Casino Rockford brought in the 2nd highest casino gambling revenue of any casino operating in Illinois, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.

In September 2024, Hard Rock Casino Rockford brought in $13,717,722 in revenue. Of that, $3 million is allocated to the state, and $843,040 to Rockford and the surrounding cities.

That makes Rockford’s casino the second largest in revenue in the state, behind the Rivers Casino Des Planes, which brought in $41.5 million in September. […]

On Monday, Rockford City Council voted on a one-year contract to use the casino tax revenue to support Rockford Promise college scholarships, the planned International Women’s Baseball Museum, and the economic development of high-risk neighborhoods. The beneficiaries could change each year when the contracts expire.

* Meanwhile, let’s move on to Hannah Meisel

Illinois surpassed $2 billion in tax revenue last year from all types of gambling and the state lottery – a record bolstered by continued growth in video gambling, sports betting and the opening of several new casinos.

But that growth comes at the expense of Illinois’ traditional riverboat casinos and the horse racing industry, which has been on a downward trajectory for decades.

An annual report published last week by the General Assembly’s fiscal forecasting arm laid out the state’s record nearly $2.1 billion in revenues, nearly half of which was earmarked for infrastructure projects, while most of the remainder went to education.

While the Illinois Lottery continues to make up a significant portion of the state’s wagering revenues, it might soon be eclipsed by Illinois’ ever-growing video gambling industry. In the last fiscal year, the lottery netted $886 million in state tax revenue while video gambling’s state taxes climbed to $848 million. […]

COGFA’s report indicates overall casino revenue growth is mainly due to the success of Rivers Casino in Des Plaines and the opening of five new casinos statewide in the past few years. A sixth, in Chicago’s south suburbs, is slated to open later this fall.

Illinois’ nine riverboat legacy casinos, most of which have been running for about three decades, have seen their revenues decline “for nine consecutive years,” according to the report. Visits to casinos in East St. Louis, East Peoria and Joliet’s Harrah’s Casino have seen significant drop-off.

Go read the rest. COGFA’s report is here.

       

7 Comments
  1. - lake county democrat - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:15 pm:

    I’m not into casinos but I always like visiting Rockford and with a few more attractions like the women’s baseball museum it might make itself into a modest tourist destination. I already tell people planning a week in Chicago they should save a day for Milwaukee.


  2. - Back to the Future - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 12:49 pm:

    One section missing from the report is the cost to families and businesses that suffer the consequences that this amount and growth of state partnering in this expansion of gambling has caused.


  3. - walker - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 1:53 pm:

    Rockford’s got a lot going for it lately — including their legislators and Governor.


  4. - TheInvisibleMan - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 2:17 pm:


    Illinois’ nine riverboat legacy casinos, most of which have been running for about three decades, have seen their revenues decline “for nine consecutive years”

    And very soon, there will only be 8 legacy riverboats.

    One of the riverboat casinos in Joliet -Hollywood- is moving from a riverboat, to another location in Joliet which is not a riverboat but fully landlocked at the intersection of I-55 and I-80. Groundbreaking for the new site was in December of ‘23.

    The casino moving isn’t even the worst performing one in Joliet. The Harrahs is underperforming far more. Putting that casino in the level of decline 2nd only to the casino with the worst performance declines in Elgin.

    The report touches on the cannibalization from other locations as the Chicagoland market gets saturated, and using these numbers it is a reasonable assumption that an additional license in the south suburbs will further cannibalize from Joliet.

    Lots of good info in this report. There are trends here and projections which can be made which are going to impact some local areas more than others.


  5. - hystorically - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 2:21 pm:

    At one point the casinos had to subsidize the horse racing industry. Does that video gaming industry subsidize the casinos?


  6. - Old IL Dude - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 2:44 pm:

    What’s remarkable is there is no info on the Chicago casino temporarily operated at the Medinah Temple. I forgot it was even there.


  7. - Retired SURS Employee - Wednesday, Oct 9, 24 @ 3:15 pm:

    Hollywood Casino Aurora is in the process of building a new complex on the far east side of Aurora just north of I-88 and directly across from the entrance to the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall. It will be interesting to see what effect this move will have on downtown Aurora as well as the gross revenue for the casino.


TrackBack URI

Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Trump border czar pick has message for Pritzker: 'Game on'
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today's edition
* Unsurprisingly, Pritzker continues to bat away presidential questions
* Republicans upset about Pritzker's 'You come for my people, you come through me' comment
* Pritzker, Welch talk Trump
* New rules (Updated)
* Madigan trial Roundup: Defense cross-examines ex-ComEd executive
* It’s just a bill
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller