In the commission\u2019s July adjusted gross revenue (AGR) report, Hard Rock\u2019s $31.2 million trailed only Horseshoe Hammond\u2019s $34.3 million, and the Gary casino\u2019s $9.3 million take on table games was the most of the state\u2019s 12 casinos.<\/p>\n
The 200,000-square-foot casino features 80 table games and nearly 1,400 slots. That’s with a couple hundred new machines coming in the near future to satisfy customer requests, Branchik said.<\/p>\n
Branchik said Hard Rock has drawn traffic so far from across a broad region, extending from Chicago\u2019s northern and western suburbs to Michigan and parts of Indiana to the south. In addition, Hard Rock faces little competition along the 80-94 corridor, which sees 190,000 cars a day.<\/p>\n
Not only is the casino pulling from across the region, but the Hard Rock exec noted it\u2019s also drawing from the travelers across the country passing through Gary.<\/p>\n
While Hard Rock\u2019s revenues are significantly higher than what the Majestic Star boats produced \u2013 in March, its last full month, the Majestic Star reported nearly $12 million in AGR \u2013 neither Horseshoe nor Ameristar have seen substantial declines in their revenue streams.<\/p>\n
\nI truly believe we’ve unlocked a market,” Branchik told Casino.org,<\/em> “Really, there wasn’t a casino product here locally that resonated with them. So, there’s a lot of trial from customers that we believe were not playing in the marketplace, and this brand, this property, this location, and the quality of assets, gave us an opportunity to get trial from them. Hopefully, we can build out that loyalty with them, and they become regular customers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\u201cTruly, the numbers suggest that we grew the market, which is good for everyone,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt suggests that the market is robust and there\u2019s a lot of opportunities still out there for a quality product, as we are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hard Rock to Grow as Illinois Casino Expansion Sputters<\/h2>\n
And that\u2019s where the partnership with the White Sox radio network and ESPN 1000 comes into play, as Branchik noted the company\u2019s goal is to grow its database, continue drawing new customers, and find ways to make them repeat visitors.<\/p>\n
One potential opportunity to further grow the database will come when Hard Rock Northern Indiana opens its sportsbook.<\/p>\n
Branchik said the brick-and-mortar sportsbook is expected to open some time during the upcoming football season, and that the partnership could potentially be used to help promote it in what is a very competitive Chicago area market.<\/p>\n
There’s also Hard Rock Live, a live-performance venue with nearly 2,000 seats that will expand the casino’s entertainment options and also help drive traffic to the casino. That’s also expected to open later this year.<\/p>\n
In addition, Hard Rock is benefiting from a massive head start it has over a planned casino for Chicago’s south suburbs, and will look to use the sponsorship to continue to solidify its customer base in the market.<\/p>\n
\n
Both Illinois and Indiana passed expanded gaming laws in 2019 that called for new casinos, and while there were bumps in the road<\/a> to get Hard Rock Northern Indiana open, that process still has been substantially smoother than what’s happening in Illinois, just six miles away from the Gary casino.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe Illinois gaming expansion law called for six new casinos in the state. One of the new casinos is slated for Chicago’s south suburbs, which would be the closest gaming venue to Hard Rock Northern Indiana on or near the 80-94 corridor. Four locations are being considered, but it’s uncertain when the Illinois Gaming Board may decide which application to approve.<\/p>\n
So as the competition in Illinois has yet to be approved, much less break ground, Hard Rock continues to pull away with the radio partnership, the sportsbook, and the concert venue ready to draw even more customers to Gary.<\/p>\n
“We have a lot going on that’s in our favor right now to cement the relationships and create loyalty prior to any of these other casinos coming into the marketplace,”<\/strong> Branchik said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hard Rock Northern Indiana and Chicago’s ESPN 1000 have announced the Gary casino will serve as the title sponsor for the Chicago White Sox radio network. It’s a deal that casino officials will help draw new customers to the $300 million gaming venue. The deal reached with the Windy City sports radio station takes effect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":184264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33810,16],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Hard Rock Northern Indiana Eyes Growth from ESPN 1000\/ChiSox Deal<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n