Hard Rock Casino Rockford opening raises concerns for potential rise in gambling addiction

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – A local singer strums Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” inside downtown Rockford’s Inscape Collective.

A few miles down the road, Hard Rock Casino Rockford held its grand opening – bringing Governor J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Tom McNamara, Cheap Trick’s Rick Neilsen and others to the spectacle.

Back near downtown, the singer performs for a crowd wanting a lower-pressure celebration. Rockford Urban Ministries organized the community concert coinciding with Hard Rock’s first day. The event also provided resources on gambling addiction.

“Everybody is going to know somebody in our town who struggles with this,” says Rev. Violet Johnicker, executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries. For the reverend, the choice to coincide was intentional; she worries what comes with a casino in the city.

“We’re expecting to see needs go up in some of our food pantries and our soup kitchens,” says Rev. Johnicker. “And we’re also expecting to be providing more spiritual support.”

According to the Rev. Johnicker, for every dollar a city makes from a casino, three more dollars are needed to cover an increased pressure on social services.

One regional study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond adds another statistic: a spike in crime on par when “tourist attractions” arrive in town.

“Research suggests that casinos are more likely to support economic growth in less dense areas that do not have to compete with nearby casinos,” writes Adam Scavette in the Fed study. “But the evidence of increased tax revenue is limited.”

Rev. Johnicker echoes that last concern – unsure if Hard Rock will deliver increased tax revenue for Rockford. When passing other gambling spots in Winnebago County, she’s used to telling her kids, “This is a place where people try to win money, but most often people are losing money, and that money is being stolen from our friends and our neighbors.”

Remedies, an addiction care provider, also joined the concert. Its booth offered information and resources to help those with an addiction. The provider’s leadership also says its presence isn’t meant to appear as “anti-gambling.”

One attendee was Michael – an organizer of stateline gamblers anonymous meetings.

“I, myself, was a compulsive gambler,” says Michael. Following the death of his mom, the organizer “ended up in a 30-day stay in Ohio”

According to 1-800-GAMBLER help hotline, 2 million American adults suffer from severe gambling problems. Michael joined that statistic after a career in sales.

“I wasn’t that good, but I knew that if I saw so many people, I’d make so many sales,” says Michael. “Well guess what, that doesn’t work with gambling. Once you start chasing losses, it gets worse.”

In the years before the casino’s opening, Michael’s Loves Park support group grew in size – jumping from 6 to 20 members as Winnebago County video gaming machines expanded.

Michael, a Vietnam veteran, has seen the addiction consume those around him: “[Some] couldn’t recover and wouldn’t recover, and they kept going down that shoot, and they actually did kill themselves.”

For those struggling, Michael – as well as Hard Rock – recommends self-expulsion: the Illinois Gaming Board provides the volunteer program to stop yourself from gambling.

Before any self-expulsion, however, the organizer says to hand your bank account to someone you can trust: “Take the bullets from the gun.”

“I still love this city. I’m really excited about it. And tonight is really just a reminder there are alternatives to gambling, alternatives to drinking,” Rev. Johnicker said.

Gamblers Anonymous meets in the following places and times:

• 112 Cherry St., Cherry Valley -Saturdays at 9 a.m.
• 8201 E. Riverside Dr., Javon Bea Hospital (adult entrance, room 2C) – Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
• 101 E. Union St., Rockton – Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
• 801 Bushnet St., Beloit, Wis. – Tuesdays at 6 p.m.

The National Council on Problem Gambling supplies the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline as well; anyone can call for free, 24/7, to find resources and referrals.

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