Terre Haute Hard Rock Casino Will Break Ground By First Week Of July

Construction is finally about to start on Terre Haute’s new Hard Rock Casino.

Lucy Luck Gaming, the casino’s parent company, plans to break ground on the casino during either the last week of June or the first week of July.

The $170 million “Rocksino” will provide over 1,000 permanent jobs once it opens for business.

It will take about a year to finish construction if everything goes according to plan.

Gaming Commission approves Terre Haute Hard Rock

The start of construction has been a long time coming for Terre Haute’s Hard Rock.

This whole process started back in 2019, when Terre Haute voters passed a referendum to green-light the project.

After that, Spectacle Jack had to actually bid for the rights to own the casino license. Spectacle Jack is the original name of Lucy Luck Gaming, so the same company is still running the show today.

Spectacle was surprisingly the only company that submitted a bid for the license.

Next up, the Indiana Gaming Commission had to approve Spectacle’s ownership of the license.

The company got the thumbs up back in September 2020 after the commission finished its review.

With a construction date pinned down, Hard Rock and Lucy Luck are finally taking the next steps for the project.

Smoke-free Hard Rock property

The Terre Haute Hard Rock will be a smoke-free property, which is a change from the typical Indiana casino experience.

As casino regulars know, gamblers can generally smoke anywhere on the casino floor.

Many of the state’s casinos went smoke-free during the pandemic, but that was for the sake of increased safety precautions.

The Rocksino’s move reflects a growing anti-smoking sentiment among casino goers.

Despite the changes, there will still be a reliable option for smokers that want to visit the Hard Rock.

The casino will have a large covered patio that will act as the smoking area on the property.

Hard Rock expands Indiana presence

Nailing down a window to start construction is a big step for Hard Rock’s Indiana interests.

After its grand opening, the Hoosier State will be home to two different Rocksinos.

The sister casino to Terre Haute’s Hard Rock just opened up for business in Gary earlier this month.

Hard Rock is making good progress by opening one casino and starting work on another.

The company has been building steam ever since it finally wrapped up its debacle with Spectacle Entertainment.

Things are still a bit messy thanks to an ongoing lawsuit, but that situation thankfully won’t change the construction efforts down in Terre Haute.

Hoosiers will have more gambling options than ever before once Terre Haute’s Rocksino opens for business.

Photo by Dreamstime
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Jake Garza

Jake Garza is a US Gambling Industry Analyst for Catena Media. He specializes in Midwest sports betting and casino content. Prior to covering the legal gambling industry, he spent time as a professional sports writer, reporting on teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers. Garza is currently working as a Managing Editor for Play Indiana and PlayOhio, with previous stops at other well-known brands such as PlayIllinois and PlayMichigan. He has been covering the gambling industry since 2019, and currently works with a team of other journalists to provide comprehensive coverage of the legal U.S. gambling industry.

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