While sports betting, fantasy sports and iGaming are as close as our cell phones, iPads and computers, online gaming it is going to have an even greater presence in Rhode Island.

Yesterday, Bally’s Corporation, with corporate headquarters in Providence and casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton, officially opened its Interactive Hub in Warwick.

The 10,000-square-foot leased office, part of the office complex at 475 Kilvert St., will house the engineers, technicians, recruiters and marketers to develop and steer this developing end of the business.

Initially planned for 30 employees, Adi Dhandhania, Bally’s COO of North America, said Monday about 55 employees would work from the facility. Dhandhania, who earned his undergraduate degree from Johnson & Wales University and master’s degrees from Bryant and Brown universities, said the proximity to the airport and rail connection to Providence were considerations in the selection of the Warwick site. He said Interactive Tech Hub employees would be coming to the city from multiple locations, including the U.K.

But then Rhode Island has a soft spot in Dhandhania’s heart, even though he lives a short distance away in Massachusetts.

“We are Rhode Islanders,” he said of the company that has deep Ocean State roots, “and now we are global.” The company owns and operates 14 casinos in 10 states.

Dhandhania described the business as balanced between casinos and online, with the online offering the greatest growth opportunities. Despite virtual experiences such as the Metaverse being developed by Facebook, Dhandhania doesn’t foresee anything to replace the “touch and feel” of casinos or the hospitality side of the business.

For House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, the Bally’s expansion is a big deal for Warwick. After becoming speaker, Shekarchi said he wasn’t entirely happy with the IGT and Bally’s 20-year agreement worked out by the former administration. Among other issues, Shekarchi was looking for commitments for higher wages and in-state expansion.

And while it was not part of the legislation amending the original deal, in meetings with Bally’s, Shekarchi made it clear he would like to see growth in his hometown.

Shekarchi said Monday he told Bally’s that “Warwick is a great place to do business. They seemed very interested in the city’s stability and central location.”

“These are six-figure jobs, high-paying jobs, the jobs of the future, very futuristic,” he said. Shekarchi notes Bally’s operations provide “an important source of revenue to our state.”

As Dhandhania points out, the state’s colleges and universities also provide a pool of talent for the company. He said he has had talks with Brown and he mentioned the Rhode Island School of Design as a source for graphic artists who play an important role in developing online games and entertainment.

Under the agreement Shekarchi brokered, IGT’s upfront payment to the state increased from $25 million to $27 million; Bally’s agreed to accelerate corporate job growth by 30 jobs (now 55) by next December; an increase in the IGT financial one-time commitment from $150 million to $155 million and an increased commitment to problem gambling from a minimum of $125,000 to $200,000 annually.