Hard Rock Casino Rockford Unveils Two Hometown-Themed Slot Machines
Hard Rock Casino Rockford is turning up the hometown pride with the debut of two exclusive, locally inspired slot machines that pay tribute to Rockford icons—guitar legend Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick and the trailblazing women of the Rockford Peaches baseball team.
To celebrate its first anniversary, the casino introduced Rick Nielsen’s Five Neck Fortune, a mechanical slot themed around the Cheap Trick guitarist’s infamous five-neck guitar. Built on IGT’s classic S2000 reel-spinning format, the game features Nielsen’s signature checkerboard guitar, which also acts as the top-paying symbol and a 3X wild. With a max bet of $45 across nine lines, players can win up to $22,500.
“People are playing the games because they love Rick and they love Cheap Trick,” said Hard Rock Rockford President Geno Iafrate. “And they feel great playing Rick’s game.”
Nielsen, who still lives in Rockford and helped design the game, was the first to play the machine. “If you’re going to have a bad idea, make sure it’s extra bad,” joked Nielsen about his outlandish guitar. “And so, it’s difficult to play, but it’s difficult to ignore. Sort of like me.” His actual five-neck guitar is on display at the casino’s center bar, while the venue’s massive chandelier replicates the guitar in glowing LED form. The new slot is just one of many tributes to Cheap Trick throughout the property.
Just steps away, another new machine is drawing crowds—and making history. The Rockford Peaches slot machines honor the legendary women’s baseball team that played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from 1943 to 1954. The team’s story was famously featured in the film A League of Their Own, and now, their legacy lives on in three vibrant slot machines placed in a prime location on the casino floor.
Also developed using the S2000 platform and reskinned in collaboration with IGT, the Peaches machines transformed a low-performing bank of slots into a popular new draw. “They’re doing great!” Iafrate said. “People love the tribute to the Peaches and to women’s baseball.”
The unveiling event was made even more memorable by the appearance of 98-year-old Maybelle Blair, a former AAGPBL player who didn’t suit up for the Peaches but played in the league’s inaugural season. “I’ve never been so thrilled,” Blair said. “It was just a thrill that Hard Rock Casino Rockford recognized us and gave us the opportunity to have our own slot machine.” Blair even won $300 on the new game, quipping, “Batting 300 isn’t bad!”
The launch of the Peaches machines comes as women’s baseball is regaining momentum, with a new professional league set to launch in 2026 and the Women’s Baseball World Cup returning to Rockford that same year.
With Five Neck Fortune and the Rockford Peaches slots, Hard Rock Casino Rockford is celebrating its roots in rock and baseball while offering guests a chance to play—and win—alongside local legends.
