The Hard Rock Casino opens in Rockford on Thursday, but Reverand Violet Johnicker of Rockford Urban Ministries wants to offer a sober event.

“We wanted to create and offer a sober space for people who live with addiction issues and specifically to offer resources for people who are impacted by gambling addiction, which unfortunately we predict is going to be more and more people in our community as the casino opens,” said Johnicker.

They are offering two free concerts as well as a gambling addiction resource fair at Inscape Collective. Johnicker said she has heard from community members concerned about the impact of a casino.

Please fill out the form to send a message to the CDC Gaming Reports team. Alternatively, you can send an email to the address on the footer of each page.