Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City is a casino hotel in Sioux City, Iowa. It is owned and operated by Churchill Downs, Inc.
History
The proposal for Hard Rock Casino Sioux City was announced in October 2012.[1] The $100-million project would be developed by Warner Gaming, the operator of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.[1] The plan was later modified to include a boutique hotel component.[2] The Hard Rock was one of four applications submitted for the one available casino license in Woodbury County, competing against a bid from Ho-Chunk Inc. and two bids from Penn National Gaming.[3] Peninsula Pacific Entertainment joined as an investor in the project in January 2013.[4] In April 2013, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission selected the Hard Rock over the other proposals.[5]
The Hard Rock opened August 1, 2014 in downtown Sioux City.[6] The casino is land-based, as Iowa no longer requires casinos to be built on riverboats. The opening came after some controversy from the now-defunct Argosy Casino Sioux City, who had its license revoked by the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission in 2014.[7]
Peninsula Pacific bought out Warner's stake in the property in 2020.[8] In 2022, Peninsula Pacific sold the bulk of its assets, including the Hard Rock, to Churchill Downs, Inc.[9][10]
Property information
The 45000 sqft gaming floor consists of over 850 slot machines and 25 table games. The hotel, housed in the historic Battery Building, has 54 rooms. There are two restaurants: Main + Abbey and Fuel American Grill. Sports betting was legalized in Iowa in August 2019, and Hard Rock began accepting bets on September 20, 2019.[11]
See also
- List of casinos in Iowa
External links
- Official Site
References
- Dave Dreeszen. $100 million Hard Rock casino proposed in Sioux City Sioux City Journal, October 10, 2012, retrieved 2019-12-15^
- Dave Dreeszen. Hard Rock project adds hotel to mix Sioux City Journal, November 5, 2012, retrieved 2019-12-15^
- Andrew J. Nelson. Four casino plans vie for Sioux City nod Omaha World-Herald, November 6, 2012^
- Dave Dreeszen. Former Iowa casino executive invests in Hard Rock Sioux City project Sioux City Journal, January 22, 2013, retrieved 2022-06-19^
- Dave Dreeszen. Gaming panel picks Hard Rock for Sioux City Sioux City Journal, April 18, 2013, retrieved 2019-12-15^
- Hard Rock Sioux City sets Aug. opening date 28 May 2014, retrieved 18 November 2019^
- Hearing set in Argosy-Hard Rock Sioux City case October 2013, retrieved 18 November 2019^
- Nick Hytrek. State regulators approve sole owner of Hard Rock Sioux City Journal, October 15, 2020, retrieved 2022-06-19^
- Michael Phillips. Kentucky's Churchill Downs to acquire parent company of Colonial Downs, Rosie's Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 22, 2022, retrieved 2022-06-19^
- Churchill Downs Incorporated completes acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment Churchill Downs, Inc., November 1, 2022, retrieved 2022-12-17^
- Sports betting off to hot start at Hard Rock in Sioux City 13 November 2019, retrieved 18 November 2019^