Reform Alliance Atlantic City Gala at Ocean Raises Millions for Criminal Justice Reform
Posted on: September 15, 2025, 10:18h.
Last updated on: September 15, 2025, 10:39h.
- The Reform Alliance held its Casino Night & Gala in Atlantic City on Saturday
- The star-studded event raised around $20 million for criminal justice reform
The second Reform Alliance Casino Night & Gala in Atlantic City was once again a riveting success.
Following the inaugural 2023 event, the Reform Alliance held its biennial flagship fundraising event in the New Jersey casino shore town this past Saturday, September 13. Held again at Ocean Casino Resort, the gala raises money for criminal justice reform by working to “transform probation and parole.”
The Reform Alliance, a nonprofit founded by Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Robert Kraft, and Michael Rubin in 2019, reported raising approximately $20 million during the Saturday night shindig. An array of celebrities were flown in from New York City and other parts of the country to take part in the gala, auction, and casino fundraiser.
Our second Reform Alliance Casino Night at Ocean Casino Resort was truly a night to remember. The millions raised will support our ‘Work Matters’ initiative and will continue to fuel groups working every day to build safer communities through our community grants program,” the organization said.
The inaugural Reform Alliance Casino Night in 2023 raised $24 million. “Work Matters” connects job seekers with challenging legal backgrounds and “perceptions” with employers, and helps educate businesses about “second-chance hiring.”
Star-Studded Gala
Along with its celebrity and business tycoon founders, the second Reform Alliance Casino Night & Gala was a star-studded affair. Those in attendance included Beyonce, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Travis Scott, DJ Khaled, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, Tiffany Haddish, Fabolous, and Ne-Yo.
Celebrities who participated in the high-stakes blackjack tournament included Diaz, Jay-Z, French Montana, and Tyrese Haliburton. Kevin Hart emceed the gala, The Weeknd performed a headlining set, and surprise performances from Scott, Ice Spice, Quavo, Khaled, and Chase B kept the party going into the early morning.
Speaker James Severe delivered his story about being impacted by what he said was a “broken” probation and parole system. He testified about how Reform has helped him find stability in his life and reenter the workforce.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after James Severe shared how a technical violation almost cost him his future — and how after benefitting from a law Reform passed — he has rebuilt his life as a TV and film coordinator at RocNation, and most importantly, as a dad to his two-year-old son,” the organization said.
Severe spent two years in prison after a string of legal troubles.
“Severe’s young adulthood was marked by … forgery, a marijuana charge, and a burglary where the items taken included a stick of butter, ground beef, and a game console. Although none involved violence or physical harm, these mistakes led him through years of probation, house arrest, and ultimately, incarceration,” the Reform Alliance explained.
Auction Items
In addition to the casino revenue raised at the casino night, the Reform Alliance Gala generated considerable money through its luxury auction.
A round of golf with Tom Brady at Michael Jordan’s ultra-exclusive private country club in Florida called Grove XXIII went for $1.8 million. Rubin paid $3.4 million for a George Condo painting, a private Megan Thee Stallion concert went for $600K, and a Rashid Johnson artwork piece went for $1.8 million.
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