Hard Rock Casino Rockford will soon have a live roulette table

Live roulette is expected to soon make its debut at the Rockford Casino.

A popular casino staple, roulette will be the next addition to the Hard Rock Opening Act's steadily expanding live table game lineup.

Here is what you need to know.

What table games are now available at the Rockford Casino?

Roulette will bring the number of table games at the 610 N. Bell School Road casino to nine. There are four blackjack tables, one Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em, one Three Card Poker, one Mini-Baccarat and one Mississippi stud table now available.

When can I play table games at the casino?

Table games are offered 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

When can I play live roulette?

Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate says the casino has the necessary approvals for the game from the Illinois Gaming Board. The casino is waiting delivery of equipment before rolling it out to the public. Roulette is expected to be available by the end of September.

Will this mean the loss of other casino games to make space for roulette?

Iafrate said there is already space for the roulette game set aside on the casino floor, capping one end of the table game pit.

Will I still be able to play electronic roulette?

Yes, the electronic version of the game will still be available at the casino.

What is roulette?

Roulette is a game of pure luck — no skill is involved. It's probably the only casino table game that plays with chips that aren't marked with a denomination as all chips on the table are worth the same dollar amount. Each player is given a stack of chips of a different color to make it easier to figure out who gets paid. A ball is cast on a large spinning wheel, usually of 38 numbers, most alternating black and red numbers except for the zero and double zero which are green. Players place their chips on a large game board. They can bet the ball will land on certain numbers, split bets between adjacent numbers, bet it will land on red or black numbers, or make other more complicated bets. According to the Wizard of Odds, the house has a 5.26% advantage on roulette bets overall.

What's been the response to table games?

Table games were in high demand and have proven to be a popular attraction at the Rockford Casino. The casino has collected $1.9 million in revenue from table games alone since offering them starting in April.

Jeff Kolkey: 815-987-1374; jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey