Hard Rock International Bags Top Operator Award

Hard Rock International (HRI) has won the Land-Based Operator of the Year award at this year’s Global Gaming Awards Americas in Las Vegas.

It’s the third time the casino chain has won the gong, one of the most respected awards in the gaming industry.

A panel of 100 senior industry execs voted on the winner, recognizing outstanding performances across global properties.

North American Projects Key to Success

Hard Rock has been busy with its North American properties, opening two land-based resorts in the past 12 months – one in Canada, the other in the U.S.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa launched a year ago, a $350 million project that is the developer’s first fully integrated resort to go live in Canada.

Further south, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon opened in November. It was Phase One of the development in California, built in partnership with the Tejon tribe. The casino project finished runner-up in in the Property of the Year category at the Global Gaming Awards.

The new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is due to open in 2027 on the site of the former Mirage. The mega-resort will feature the Hard Rock’s iconic guitar, this one stretching 660 feet into the Vegas Strip skyline. Hard Rock’s off-strip casino closed in 2020.

Finally, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Metropolitan Park is being planned for New York. The resort will occupy 50 as-yet empty acres and include a casino, sportsbook, hotel, and live music venue.

Hard Rock Casinos: A Snapshot

• 19 land-based casinos in North America, Canada, Dominican Republic
• 3 resorts in development: Athens, Kenosha, WI, Las Vegas
• New resorts: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa, Hard Rock Casino Tejon

Online Growth in US, Canada

Online revenue for Hard Rock’s sportsbooks and casinos is also showing healthy signs. Hard Rock was one of the first online brands to go live in NJ when it legalized iGaming in 2012.

Growth for the Hard Rock Bet online sportsbook is one of the best performing in New Jersey. Year-over-year online gaming win was up 52% for Hard Rock Bet, from $58 million to $89 million in May. The year-over-year increase for August 2025 to August 2026 was 42% – and increase of over $40 million.

Hard Rock Bet officially launched in Ontario in July as one of the regulated province’s newest operators. It is yet to enter Albert’s fledgling iGaming market, though it would be churlish to think a similar move is off the table.

Hard Rock Launches PINKTOBER Campaign

The latest online campaign from Hard Rock is its 27th PINKTOBER promotion. The campaign ties up Hard Rock’s various online sites, including Hard Rock Bet and Hard Rock online casino.

Raising money for breast cancer charities, PINKTOBER involves slot tournaments and table game promotions across participating online and retail sites. The promotion runs throughout October.