Hard Rock Bet is now up and running in eight states after going live in Illinois in time for the beginning of the NFL season. Hard Rock Digital announced that the platform is available to people in the state as of Monday, with a retail sportsbook with three betting windows and five self-service kiosks at the Hard Rock Casino Rockford to open on Thursday.

one of the largest sports betting markets in the country”

Talking about the rollout, Hard Rock Digital CEO and Executive Managing Director Marlon Goldstein spoke about how the football season is set to be a monumental one and that the company is thrilled to launch “in one of the largest sports betting markets in the country.”

The NFL season is always a busy time for US sportsbooks; the first game is scheduled for September 5 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens.

Hard Rock Bet first launched in Florida before expanding into Arizona, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. It decided to go ahead and enter the Illinois market despite the new tax rate coming into effect last month, increasing from the previous 15% flat rate to a tiered system that could see the biggest operators handing over 40% of their revenue to the state.