Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
A casino and entertainment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio, owned by Vici Properties and operated by Hard Rock International.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is a casino and entertainment venue located on the northeast side of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The property opened in 2013 as Horseshoe Cincinnati, one of four full-service casinos authorized after Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2009. It was subsequently rebranded as Jack Cincinnati Casino in 2016 and adopted its current Hard Rock identity after a 2019 transaction involving Vici Properties and Hard Rock International. The casino occupies a roughly 23-acre site formerly associated with Broadway Commons. Its two-story gaming and entertainment facility covers approximately 100,000 square feet. The gaming floor includes about 2,000 slot machines, 85 table games, and a 31-table World Series of Poker room. The property also contains several food and beverage concepts, including Brick'd Pizza, Hard Rock Cafe, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, and Constant Grind. These offerings combine casino gaming with recognizable Hard Rock dining and music-oriented hospitality formats. The property is part of Ohio's regulated casino industry. Gross casino revenue is subject to a 33 percent tax rate, with distributions supporting public school districts, host cities, Ohio counties, the Ohio State Racing Commission, law-enforcement training, and programs addressing problem gambling and substance abuse. This regulatory structure makes the casino both a commercial entertainment venue and a contributor to state and local public funding. The casino's ownership and operating arrangements changed substantially in 2019. Vici Properties acquired the land and buildings for $558 million, while Hard Rock International acquired the operating business for $187 million. Hard Rock then leased the real estate from Vici under a reported annual rent of $43 million and assumed responsibility for operating and rebranding the facility. The arrangement separated real-estate ownership from casino operations, a structure commonly used in the modern gaming industry. Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati primarily serves the Cincinnati metropolitan area and the wider Ohio gaming market. Its positioning combines regulated casino gambling, poker, restaurants, live-entertainment associations, and the broader Hard Rock hospitality identity. No separate corporate parent is identified for the property beyond its ownership by Vici Properties and operation by Hard Rock International.
History
The history of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is linked to Ohio's expansion of commercial casino gaming. In November 2009, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting one casino in each of the state's four largest cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo. The measure followed several unsuccessful statewide efforts to legalize gambling and created the legal framework for a new group of urban casinos. Construction began in February 2011 on a 23-acre site on the northeast side of downtown Cincinnati. The location had previously been associated with Broadway Commons. The project was developed by Rock Ohio Caesars, a joint venture between Caesars Entertainment and Dan Gilbert's Rock Gaming. Rock Ohio Caesars also developed Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, which became the first Ohio casino in the new group to open and was licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission in May 2012. Horseshoe Cincinnati opened on March 4, 2013. It was the last of the four voter-approved full-service casinos in Ohio to begin operations. The two-story facility was designed as a large urban casino and entertainment complex, with approximately 100,000 square feet of space. Its offering included around 2,000 slot machines, 85 table games, and a 31-table World Series of Poker room. Restaurants and other hospitality venues were incorporated into the property to broaden its appeal beyond gaming. In June 2016, the casino changed its name to Jack Cincinnati Casino. The rebranding followed Rock Gaming's broader transition to the Jack Entertainment identity. The change replaced the Horseshoe name at the Cincinnati property while retaining its role as a major regulated casino in the region. A more significant ownership and operating change occurred in 2019. Jack Entertainment sold the property through a transaction that separated real-estate ownership from casino operations. Vici Properties acquired the land and buildings for $558 million, and Hard Rock International acquired the operating business for $187 million. Hard Rock leased the real estate from Vici under a reported annual rent of $43 million and planned to convert the property to the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati brand. Under its current structure, Vici Properties owns the physical real estate while Hard Rock International operates the casino. The property combines gaming, poker, restaurants, and Hard Rock-branded hospitality. Its dining venues include Hard Rock Cafe, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Brick'd Pizza, and Constant Grind. The casino operates within Ohio's tax and regulatory framework, under which gross casino revenue is taxed at 33 percent. Allocations from that tax support public schools, host cities, counties throughout Ohio, racing regulation, law-enforcement training, and problem-gambling and substance-abuse research and treatment. The venue's market is centered on Cincinnati and the surrounding metropolitan area, with its customer base drawn from Ohio and nearby regional markets. Its development illustrates the evolution of Ohio casino regulation, the shift from casino-specific operating brands to broader hospitality identities, and the growing separation between gaming operations and real-estate ownership.
- 2019
Real estate and operating business change hands
[1]Vici Properties acquired the land and buildings, while Hard Rock International acquired the casino operating business and prepared the property for its current branding.
- 2016
Property is rebranded as Jack Cincinnati Casino
[1]The Horseshoe identity was replaced by the Jack brand during Rock Gaming's transition to Jack Entertainment.
- 2013
Horseshoe Cincinnati opens
[1]The casino opened on March 4 as the fourth and final full-service casino established under Ohio's 2009 authorization.
- 2011
Construction begins at the Broadway Commons site
[1]Construction started in February on the future casino site northeast of downtown Cincinnati.
- 2009
Ohio voters authorize casinos in four major cities
[1]A statewide constitutional amendment approved one casino in each of Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo, creating the legal basis for the Cincinnati project.
Products and positioning
Integrated casino and entertainment venue combining regulated gaming, poker, dining, and Hard Rock-branded hospitality in the Cincinnati market.
Casino gaming · 2013
Casino gaming floor
The main gaming operation occupies a substantial portion of the two-story facility and includes approximately 2,000 slot machines and 85 table games. It is the property's core commercial offering and operates under Ohio's regulated casino framework.
Poker · 2013
World Series of Poker room
The casino includes a dedicated 31-table poker room associated with the World Series of Poker brand. The room extends the property's gaming offer beyond slots and conventional table games and supports tournament and cash-game activity.
Restaurant
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is an on-property dining venue that connects the Cincinnati casino to Hard Rock's wider restaurant and music-themed hospitality concept.
Restaurant
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
Council Oak Steaks & Seafood is the property's premium dining concept, offering a steakhouse and seafood format within the casino complex.
Restaurant
Brick'd Pizza
Brick'd Pizza is a casual food outlet located inside the facility, complementing the casino's full-service and premium dining venues.
Cafe
Constant Grind
Constant Grind is a coffee and light-refreshment concept within the property, providing a non-gaming food and beverage option for visitors.
Brand decisions
2019
Separate acquisition of real estate and casino operationsM&ABackground
The former Jack Cincinnati Casino was sold in a transaction that divided ownership of the physical property from control of the gaming business.
Action taken
Vici Properties acquired the land and buildings for $558 million, while Hard Rock International acquired the operating business for $187 million. Hard Rock leased the property from Vici under a reported annual rent of $43 million.
Aftermath
The transaction established the current ownership and operating structure and enabled the property to transition to the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati brand.
Transaction consideration and reported annual rent. $558 million for land and buildings; $187 million for the operating business; $43 million annual lease rent (2019)
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/hard-rock-casino-cincinnati · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled