Hard Rock International, the global gaming and entertainment brand, announced that Hard Rock Casino Rockford will open its permanent location for visitors this summer. The venue has been operating from a temporary location at 610 N. Bell School Road since November 2021.

However, starting from August 29, 2024, Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s permanent venue at 7801 E. State Street in Rockford will welcome its first visitors. A grand opening ceremony will maintain Hard Rock’s tradition with a star-studded Guitar Smash.

The first visitors of the new gaming and entertainment destination in Rockford will be able to enter at around 3 PM on the same day the grand opening ceremony will be held. Hard Rock Casino Rockford is expected to offer a massive gaming, entertainment and hospitality space that surpasses 175,000 square feet.

Visitors of the premium gaming and entertainment venue can expect 50 live table games, a sportsbook, as well as a poker room. Unsurprisingly, the casino floor will offer a wide range of some of the most popular slot machines. Overall, there will be close to 1,300 slot machines, promising unforgettable experiences.

Besides gaming, visitors to the Hard Rock Casino Rockford can expect a wide range of amenities and attractions. The list includes a brand-new Hard Rock Live entertainment venue that uses 23,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 2,000 guests for different events such as concerts. Additionally, there will be a Rock Shop and several restaurants, among other entertainment outlets.

The Upcoming Opening Brings Excitement to Hard Rock’s Team

Geno Iafrate, Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s president, praised the efforts of the company’s members who supported it at its temporary site. Moreover, he said seeing new Hard Rock employees join the team at the permanent venue will be exciting. “It’s been 30 years in the making for Rockford and the wait is over. We are excited to welcome guests to our house to showcase and expand the legendary Hard Rock brand,” said Iafrate in conclusion.

“I’d like to thank the Rockford community and State of Illinois for welcoming Hard Rock and our unique brand of world-class entertainment to the greater region.“

Jon Lucas, chief operating officer at Hard Rock International

Jon Lucas, Hard Rock International’s chief operating officer, was just as delighted about the latest announcement. He thanked Illinois and the community in Rockford that accepted the arrival of the iconic Hard Rock brand.

Lucas spoke about the significant economic impact the new casino will bring by creating hundreds of new jobs. Additionally, the executive predicted that Hard Rock Casino Rockford will boost tourism in the area. Finally, Lucas said that it is exciting to see the new casino join Hard Rock’s growing portfolio of more than 300 venues across the globe.

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After operating for 80 years, Northville Downs, Michigan’s last horse racing track, will discontinue its operations at its current location as of early next month. Details released by the gambling regulator in the state, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), reveal that the final race for Northville Downs at its current location at 301 S. Center St. in Northville is scheduled for Saturday, February 3, 2024.

The closure is related to a $250 million redevelopment of the racecourse. Previously, Northville Downs bought some 128 acres of land to use for building its new harness racing facility. The aforementioned piece of land is located on the corner of Five Mile and Ridge roads in Plymouth Township. According to the MGCB, the building of the new facility is subject to approval from the township board.

Considering the upcoming closure, bettors are no longer going to be able to place simulcast wagers in person at the current Northville Downs location starting from Monday, February 5, 2024. Still, the racetrack confirmed that it plans to reintroduce simulcast wagering at its new location. On the other hand, February 10, 2024, marks the last day patrons will be able to cash out winning wagers at Northville Downs. After this date, horse racing patrons can mail their winning tickets to Northville Downs, 47526 Clipper St., PO Box 701220, Plymouth, MI 48170, according to the MGCB.

“Northville Downs, the last horse racing track in Michigan, will soon cease operations at its current location at 301 S. Center St. in Northville after 80 years of providing excitement and entertainment to avid horse racing enthusiasts. The final race is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024,“

reads a statement released by the MGCB

Michigan to Witness the Next Chapter of Horse Racing

Henry Williams, MGCB’s executive director, thanked all patrons at Northville Downs who enjoyed race days and visited the venue frequently. “We appreciate the support of those who have kept Northville Downs going for 80 years and look forward to the next chapter of horse racing in Michigan at a new location,” he added.

“The Michigan Gaming Control Board expresses our deepest gratitude to all of the Northville Downs patrons who have made each race day memorable and thrilling.“

Henry Williams, executive director at the MGCB

While Northville Downs will cease to operate at its current location in preparation for its new racetrack, fans of horse racing will be able to continue placing wagers via their mobile devices without interruptions. Patrons across Michigan can access licensed providers in the state, including FanDuel Racing, Xpressbet, NYRA Bets or Churchill Downs/Twin Spires to place wagers on popular events such as the Kentucky Derby, among others.

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Over the years, SBC Events has garnered tremendous support from the iGaming industry globally, which is why SBC cited that support as a primary reason for the unparalleled 2023 edition of SBC Summit Barcelona.

An awe-inspiring audience

The 2023 conference and exhibition attracted an astonishing audience of nearly 15,000 participants, a three-fold growth over 2022 numbers, cementing its status as the industry’s fastest-growing event. Additionally, post-event poll data discovered a Net Promoter Score of 49 for the aforementioned event, emphasizing the SBC’s commitment to maintaining a high-quality standards, even despite the significant increase in participation compared to 2022.

As for the event itself, it got off to a great start at the SBC Leaders Summit, the introductory edition of the private “pre-event, invite-only” event that lured 500 of the industry’s best executives. It also lasted all day and included plenty of conference content, involving Frank Abagnale’s keynote, the man who was the main inspiration behind Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me if You Can,” a poker tournament and networking chances.

An important peak of the event was the initiation of Jordan Levin (OpenBet, CEO), Brigid Simmonds OBE (Betting and Gaming Council, Chair) and Gustaf Hagman (LeoVegas, CEO and Co-Founder) into the SBC’s Hall of Fame.

Description of SBC Summit Barcelona

The aforementioned SBC Summit Barcelona, which was held from September 19 to September 21, was held in a large conference area of 38.000 square meters conference area that gathered 350 exhibitors, which represented a growth of 175% compared to 2022. Commenting on the event, VP of Global Gaming at IDnow, one of the exhibitors and provider of identity verification solutions, Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk, said: “We are being treated as a partner, not just as a company that pays money to get services. We’re being taken to events and get introduced to people. SBC is a solution-finding partner for us.”

The 2023 exhibition space is practically divided into 5 zones that mark the crucial areas of the industry, such as: Affiliate, Media and Marketing, Emerging Tech, Payments & Compliance, Casino & iGaming and Sports Wagering. Additionally, there was an appointed “Festival area,” which, in addition to exhibitor’s displays, also offered the ultimate casual networking environment, consisting of a tapas & sangria bar, smoothie and juice bar and an ice cream bar in addition to other benefits.

As for the exhibition space, it was enhanced with many networking zones, and the SBC Content+ Lounge acted as a central meeting centre for representatives who arranged their meeting via the official event app. Interestingly, the app involved a lead scoring feature that was actively used, amounting to 2,560 interactions. Answering the question about what makes the SBC Summit in Barcelona special when compared to other events, the Founder & CEO of investment firm Bonmoja, Sab Jhooti, commented: “It’s the community element. Whenever I come, I have the opportunity to meet the who’s who in this industry. Everybody you want to meet comes to this event, so I don’t really have to go anywhere else.”

Involving seven stages, the extensive conference program featured more than 80 hours of conference content and provided insights from more than 450 of the industry’s top firms. In this regard, of the speakers, 89.4% were C-level officials, 63.7% were operators and 8.9% were subsidiaries. However, the standing 24.7% was made up of providers, regulators, associations, sports teams, investors and the media. All of them had to answer a total of 302 questions, which further added to the interactivity of the mentioned event.

Moreover, according to the insights from SBC Connect+, it’s obvious that the next 5 panels were the most requested by the users of the application.

• “Sports Betting’s Makeover: The Influence of Gamification, Streaming, and Stats”
• “Affiliate Leaders Panel: Leading Partnerships in Emerging Markets”
• “Sports & Sponsorship Landscape: Growth Markets and Partnerships”
• “SBC Leaders: Exploring Global Growth Markets”
• “Everything, Everywhere, All-of-the-Time: Managing Marketing, Tech & Compliance”

One of the significant events of the aforementioned 2023 agenda was the opening remarks by reputable bestselling author and metaverse expert, Matthew Ball, and chief executive of Flutter International, Daniel Taylor. With enhanced participation, every day’s program in 2023 completed educational roundtable meetings on verticals, topics or particular markets, of which there were 30 in total.

The ultimate peak of SBC’s events, the First Pitch contest, was created to help startups bring their inventive visions to life, according to its newest champion, SnapOdds. In addition, it also won a desired reward package of more than 60,000 euros, which involves a 2-day workshop experience in Tallinn, offered by Yolo Investments, who is sponsoring the contest, among the list of rewards.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the SBC Awards ceremony took place in the famous Caves Codorníu and gave the official recognition to the industry’s flagship firms in 39 distinguished categories. The MCs of the event were already a familiar face at the SBC Awards, Kirsty Gallacher, TV presenter and Clarence Seedorf, previous professional football player and now manager, and one of the best midfielders of today. However, what is a ceremony without a special guest, which is why Luis Figo, the previous “World and European Footballer of the Year,” who played for Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and is a Digitain ambassador at the moment, appeared as a special guest. On that note, CEO and Founder of SBC, Rasmus Sojmark, commented: “The Barcelona chapter for SBC came to a spectacular close. This event exceeded our wildest dreams as we worked tirelessly to make it the industry’s fastest-growing gathering. With 15,000 attendees filling the exhibition floor, this show will forever be a cherished part of SBC’s history. However, as you all probably know, we’re far from done. The success of this edition paves the way for an even more prosperous next edition. We can’t wait to welcome you all in Lisbon for SBC Summit 2024!” Additionally, Managing Director of Brazilian operator VaiDeBob, Thomas Carvalhaes, added: “The quality and calibre of people attending is very impressive. I was on a podcast recently and they asked what my favourite event was. I said it’s SBC Summit Barcelona – for its relevance, for the people who are here and for giving us a sense of what’s about to come.”

Next location

The SBC has revealed the next location for its famous international leading event, which has now been officially rebranded as the SBC Summit to emphasize its global significance. The next location will be Lisbon’s Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and the summit will start from September 24 to 26 and is projected to take place at the massive area of more than 100,000 square meters, where 25,000 participants and 600 exhibitors are expected. It will also include insights from 500 speakers who will be experts in the category they’re speaking about.

Source: “SBC Summit Powers Onto Lisbon After Record 2023 Performance”, European Gaming. October 6, 2023.

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The leading Dutch gambling operator, Holland Casino, announced it has selected land for its new casino location in Groningen. The company confirmed that it identified Business Park Ter Borch near municipality Tynaarlo for its new venue which is expected to open for visitors at some point in 2027.

The location was picked considering its ease of access and construction opportunities. Those two factors are expected to provide the best option for Holland Casino to build its new casino, meet sustainability requirements and deliver thrilling entertainment for its guests. The selected location is strategic, considering the easy access next to the gateway to Groningen for the guests and parking options.

Jurryt Vellinga, Tynaarlo’s municipality spatial planning councilor, spoke about the excellent location Holland Casino selected for their new casino branch. “The location makes sense because of the good accessibility and the space that the business park offers,” he added. Vellinga added that Holland Casino’s choice confirms that the region remains a popular location for businesses. Finally, he predicted that the new casino location would boost tourism and unlock new job opportunities for residents.

“This location offers employment opportunities and is a great boost for tourism in our municipality.“

Jurryt Vellinga, spatial planning councilor with the municipality of Tynaarlo

The Company’s Boss Is Happy with the Selected Site

On the other hand, Holland Casino’s CEO, Petra de Ruiter, added that the company is happy to select a site for its Groningen casino. She added that if the municipality shares the excitement of Holland Casino, the project may soon enter into the planning and construction phase. “I’m looking forward to that and especially to the moment when the new Holland Casino Groningen is open,” explained Ruiter, adding that the opening of the new casino location is good news for the company’s employees and guests alike.

“We are happy that the decision has now been made. If the Tynaarlo municipal council is as enthusiastic as the board of Holland Casino, we can enter the period of planning and construction.“

Petra de Ruiter, CEO of Holland Casino

Back in 2017, the company’s venue on Gedempte Kattendiep in Groningen was destroyed by a fire. Since 2018, Holland has been operating via a temporary casino location. On that point, Ruiter thanked for the cooperation of the Tynaarlo and Groningen municipalities and their support for the company to find a new location.

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In mid-February, PENN Entertainment announced it finished the acquisition of Barstool Sports, Inc. after previously acquiring a 36% stake in the company three years ago. The remaining interest in the media brand specialized in sports, entertainment, and lifestyle was acquired for around $388 million.

Now, Barstool Sports has announced it leased a new office space in Chicago, this way marking its second launch in the third-largest city in the US.

While other corporations are leaving the city scared by the high crime rate, the company founded in the suburban parts of Boston decided to go forward and open a second office measuring 400,000 square feet.

The New Location to Host a Full-Size Basketball Court & a Golf Simulator

Located west of the Chicago Loop at 400 N. Noble St. nearby Fulton Market, the industrial building purchased by Jeff Shapack and Alec Litowitz will host a full-size basketball court along with a golf simulator, several music studios, and additional spaces that will be used for media creation of media content.

The new location will also be near a plethora of office and large apartment building projects that are currently under construction.

Barstool Sports’ spokesperson Debra Duffy announced that the company’s employees will swap their New York offices with the brand new Chicago office.

While these amenities are usually found with most offices belonging to gaming companies, they have gradually started to be eliminated across a number of different other industries in the context of certain corporations trying to cut their expenses to get ready for a potential upcoming recession.

Rampant Crime in Chicago Scaring Off Big Players

As mentioned earlier, the decision to open a second office also came in the context of big corporations fleeing the city because of the rampant crime rates.

The list includes prestigious names like Boeing, Tyson Foods, and Caterpillar. They all decided to relocate to different states or different parts of Illinois because of the growing crime, even though Boeing did not specifically use the city’s crime as a primary argument for the decision to relocate to Northern Virginia.

Located on the outskirts of Chicago, McDonald’s also expressed concerns regarding the criminal activity in the area, even though there are no palpable plans to move out of the city or out of state.

In 2022, American billionaire, hedge fund manager, entrepreneur, and founder, CEO, co-CIO, and 80% owner of Citadel LLC Ken Griffin announced he would be taking his $57 billion hedge fund to Miami, again using Chicago’s crime and budget woes as a main reason.

PENN Entertainment currently operates four separate casinos in Illinois while Barstool Sportsbook also provides mobile sports betting services in the Prairie State.

Barstool Sports’ first office in the Windy City is found in the Lakeview area where it hosts a sports bar in the River North.

Last November, Barstool Sportsbook went live in Maryland, allowing customers in the state to place wagers on top global sports leagues.

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