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Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corporation announced it will make a $5 million donation to the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Foundation’s endowment.
The donation doubles the size of the school’s endowment, which funds educational growth and students interested in a gaming career. Additionally, it is the largest single donation ever made to the foundation.
Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim commented in a Bally’s press release:
“It is an honor to partner with CCRI on such an exciting and important initiative. We are proud to play an integral part in offering higher education opportunities for Rhode Island’s workforce, creating new jobs, and driving economic development.”
Community College of Rhode Island offers a gaming-focused curriculum
Bally’s sizeable investment will fund a learning track that will allow students to earn a certificate or associate’s degree in gaming. The program will offer training in a variety of ways;
- In-person and online classes
- On-campus labs
- Work opportunities at a Bally’s casino
The coursework will include instruction in all the major areas of gaming, including:
- Casino management courses
- Dealer training
- Casino operations
- Online gambling operations
The program should launch next fall and will be the only one of its kind in the state. Kim continued:
“Rhode Island is our home, and continued investment in its local communities and workforces will always be a top priority for us. While this donation is the latest milestone in our long-term partnership with CCRI, we look forward to supporting this program for many years to come, creating a legacy of economic opportunity.”
Bally’s donation will fund college scholarships, too
In addition to building a gaming program at CCRI, the foundation will use Bally’s donation to create a scholarship fund for students who want a career in gaming and hospitality.
Bally’s runs the only full-service casinos in Rhode Island:
- Bally’s Twin River Lincoln
- Bally’s Tiverton
The scholarship fund will likely serve as a pipeline for those two properties.
Bally’s announced the donation at an event hosted on the CCRI campus. Gov. Daniel McKee was in attendance. According to a Bally’s press release, McKee said: “This landmark partnership between Bally’s and CCRI will provide important learning and training for our CCRI students, leading to new workforce opportunities.”
“The generous gift provided by one Rhode Island-based company for the benefit of so many of our state’s community college students is a powerful way to advance economic and social opportunity and teach meaningful, transferable workforce skills.”
Dr. Rosemary A. Costigan, CCRI’s interim president, said the new program will help students become “the best version of themselves” and that it will highlight the “powerful role” of community colleges in regional economies.
