Bally’s Corporation made a donation of $5m to the Community College of Rhode Island Foundation, as part of its long-term partnership.
The fund represents the largest donation in the history of the school and will be used to provide access to advanced education for students in Rhode Island, as well as economic opportunities for those who wish to work in the gaming and betting industry.
CCRI, as a result of this partnership, will be one of a few institutions in the New England area to offer gaming certificates and qualifications. The institution is a mix of classroom learning, an online course and learning labs. It offers courses in dealer education, casino operations and cybersecurity.
Bally’s will begin work on the curriculum, and CCRI hopes to offer the degree program to students in the fall of 2024.
Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim said: “It was an honor to be a partner with CCRI in such an exciting and significant initiative. We are proud to be a part of the Rhode Island workforce’s higher education, in creating new jobs and driving economic growth. Rhode Island is home and we will continue to invest in the local workforce and communities.
We look forward to continuing to support this program in the future, and creating a legacy for economic opportunity.
The event was held on the Flanagan campus of CCRI, where Governor Daniel McKee , Senate President DominickRuggerio and House Majority leader Chris Blazejewski attended.
Governor McKee stated: “This historic partnership between Bally’s CCRI and CCRI provides important learning and training to our CCRI Students, leading to new opportunities for the workforce.”
The generous gift given by a Rhode Island-based business to so many community college students in our state is a powerful tool for advancing economic and social opportunities and teaching meaningful, transferable skills. Bally’s has invested in the higher education system of our state and our students.
Bally’s also has Twin River Lincoln, and Bally’s Tiverton casinos in Rhode Island. Bally’s, which is a major boost for its online operation, will hold the only online casino license in Rhode Island from next year. This comes after the state legislature approved a bill that legalized online casinos through Bally’s, and its vendor IGT.
