Casino goers near Chicago will have to wait a bit longer before Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana builds a hotel on the property. The company recently announced that plans for the project are currently on hold.

Hard Rock has been a powerhouse in the Indiana casino industry since it opened in early 2021.

Despite that, the company recently told state regulators that it has hit pause on its plans to add a hotel to its list of amenities.

Hard Rock hotel plans on hold

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana won’t building a hotel anytime soon, which could come as a disappointment to some gamblers in the state.

Having a hotel on the property makes things easier for visiting gamblers. Travelers get the added convenience of sleeping on the casino grounds, while the casino itself gets to pocket the extra money that comes from those charges.

That’s made hotels an incredibly common amenity for casinos around the country.

Despite that, Hard Rock is ditching its plans to build a hotel at the Gary casino. At least for now, those plans are on hold due to economic uncertainty.

Hard Rock COO Jon Lucas told the Indiana Gaming Commission at its recent meeting that the company is pausing its hotel plans, but not canceling them altogether

“Unfortunately with the economic uncertainty right now we’ve paused that. Capital markets are just not very favorable, nor is the cost of construction, as well as supply chain challenges. So, once we get past those hurdles, we’ll be able to dust off the drawing board and get our hotel going.”

Even with uncertainty in the economy as a whole, Hard Rock has made a killing since it opened for business.

Hard Rock Casino dominates Indiana gambling

Hard Rock is one of the most popular casino options in the entire state.

Gary is just a short drive from Chicago, and the casino certainly benefits from its proximity to the city. The location allows it to bring in gamblers from both Indiana and Illinois.

Hard Rock is also routinely the most successful casino in Indiana.

The state’s casinos brought in $196 million in revenue last month, with Hard Rock’s $35 million haul leading the charge.

That was a nice lead over second-place Horseshoe Indianapolis, which racked up nearly $28 million in revenue.

The casino might not be building its hotel in the near future, but the numbers still speak for themselves. Hard Rock is in a strong position to continue dominating Indiana gambling for the foreseeable future.

When Hard Rock eventually resumes its hotel plans, that could help to boost the casino’s numbers even higher in the future.