Categories: Chicago

Rockford City Council votes 11-1 to certify casino proposal

The Rockford Chamber of Commerce and Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) have been advocating the need for a casino in the city for more than 15 years. They focused on the economic, local, and touristic benefits of the casino in Rockford. According to the Rockford Chamber of Commerce and the RAEDC, a casino is important for the advancement of the city.

The Rockford City Council voted for the certification of the Hard Rock Rockford casino proposal on Monday. The proposal has been sent to the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). The proposal says that the Hard Rock develops a plan to build a casino complex on the land which was occupied by the Clock Tower Resort formerly. The plan also includes the designation of Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center as a temporary casino location until the full casino complex is built.

The governor of Illinois has signed a law that increases the number of casino licenses from 10 to 16 in the state. Hard Rock presented a very good proposal that will allow the City of Rockford to generate a healthy amount of money per year. The company must be acknowledged for its efforts so far. There will be a very good partnership between the City of Rockford and Hard Rock.

The proposal says that the casino will generate more than 1000 jobs and the City will be able to collect payments from gaming taxes and admission fees. The proposal assures that the City will collect at least $7 million per year through gaming taxation. The Illinois Gaming Board will take the final decision after studying the proposal and its efficacy. It could take several months to get approval from the IGB.

The economic experts of the City of Rockford are confident that the proposal will be accepted by the IGB. A casino can generate a huge amount of money for the City and the company that operates it. Let’s wait for the decision of the IGB.

Ivan Cease

Senior editor of the Chicago Morning Star

Recent Posts

Fire FC II Signs Draft Pick Jack Sandmeyer

Chicago Fire FC II has signed defender Jack Sandmeyer, the club’s 2026 MLS SuperDraft selection, to an MLS NEXT Pro…

3 days ago

Chicago Strengthens Role in Medical Research

Chicago continues to rank among the nation’s leading hubs for medical research, supported by a network of major universities, hospitals,…

4 days ago

CTA Advances $3.6B Red Line Extension

For decades, residents of Chicago’s Far South Side have watched the city’s transit map end abruptly at 95th Street. Neighborhoods…

2 weeks ago

No. 18 Saint Louis Rolls Past Loyola 86-59

No. 18 Saint Louis extended its winning streak to 18 games Friday night, pulling away in the second half for…

2 weeks ago

Chicago Office Vacancies Climb to 28.2%

Office vacancy rates in Chicago have climbed to 28.2 percent, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and marking the 14th straight quarter of…

2 weeks ago

NBC Adds Kershaw, Rizzo, Votto to MLB Broadcast Team

NBC has finalized its broadcast lineup for its return to Major League Baseball coverage this season, officially adding recently retired…

2 weeks ago

This website uses cookies.