On Monday, October 6, a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for the Dennis Gomes Memorial Casino Training Lab was held to honor the late casino executive. The casino training lab offers students a live operational experience on slot machines and an overview of table games.
Jonathan Deutsch, PhD, professor and founding director of the Center for Hospitality and Sport Management and Bob Ambrose, instructor of gaming and hospitality were joined by several members of the Gomes family including his wife, Barbara, and son, Aaron, as well as daughters Danielle and Gabrielle, as well as members of the gaming industry for a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony.
From left to right, Aaron Gomes, (son) Barbara Gomes (wife) and Professor Bob Ambrose on dedication night.
“Our partners have joined us to be part of a creative vision for our students. I think it’s a vision that Dennis would have been proud to have his name attached to,” Professor Ambrose.
The lab was named in honor of the late Dennis Gomes, a regulator, gaming executive and casino owner. Gomes was a hands-on executive with a strong commitment to education, serving as a mentor to many current casino industry executives.
The event was attended by several of the lab’s donors and partners including executives from KGM Gaming, the Tropicana Casino & Resort, Borgata Hotel & Spa and Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City as well as current and former gaming and hospitality executives from the tri-state area, gaming regulators, media members and Drexel faculty and staff members.
Jake, the grandson of the late Dennis Gomes helps to cut the ribbon for the new casino training lab named after his grandfather.
Other companies partnering with the Drexel program include slot machines from Bally Technologies and Konami Gaming and scholarship funding from AGEM.
In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony, a reception and celebratory dinner was held in Drexel’s Academic Bistro.
