July 30, 2021, 8:09 am · A temporary Hard Rock-branded casino is on track to open doors this coming October in the Illinois City of Rockford, it became known earlier this month. During a recent virtual vendor fair meeting, property officials provided local businesses with information about partnership opportunities at the temporary facility and announced the October opening date. Rockford was one of six cities that were selected to host a Las Vegas-style casino as part of a sweeping gambling reform approved by Gov. J. B. Pritzker in 2019. City officials picked Hard Rock as their preferred casino partner in the fall of that year.