“And it wasn’t like a tug of war or anything. “Gary is the birthplace of Michael Jackson, so with Hard Rock being so infused and in tune with the music, it just made sense the family would be involved,” said Mark Arnold, Hard Rock Cafe General Manager at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. The family was on board and very cooperative with the efforts to highlight their family’s role in rock-n-roll history at this new venue.
When Hard Rock Casino International planned to build a new casino in Northwest Indiana along I-80/94 in Gary, there was no question that there had to be a big focus on the Jacksons. Sisters Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet performed at times with their siblings and went on to solo careers as did each of the brothers. All of the children went into entertainment with the boys - Michael, Marlon, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine (and later Randy) - forming the very successful Jackson 5. The Jacksons became one of the most famous families in entertainment history. The casino sits not far from the modest home where Joe and Katherine Jackson raised their nine children.
The brand brings with it a history of celebrating music and artists and the Hard Rock Casino that opened in Gary last year is definitely no exception. If you have ever been to a Hard Rock Casino, you know that it’s about much more than slot machines and poker tables.
