These are optimistic times at Betty, the online casino platform that entered the licensed Ontario igaming market in February 2023. 

Renamed “Betty Canada,” the Toronto-based firm, now led by CEO Chavdar Dimitrov, is broadening its operations outside of Ontario, while also extending its offerings beyond the initially female-centric platform it started with. 

Eyes on the Prize: Alberta

"Our gender split is pretty consistently 50/50, with a slight skew towards women,” Dimitrov said. “Our approach is to be female-friendly without alienating men, as so many of our competitors are male-focused. We are definitely a platform for men and women, and we’re happy that our offering resonates with players across gender, culture, and location.”

Alberta is in their sights. The province is presently developing a regulatory framework for a new competitive, Ontario-like private market. 

Canadian Gaming: Optimistic Financials 

A couple of weeks ago, Betty announced strong financials for 2024 – ending the year with a USD $114 million net revenue run rate, along with over 39,000 active users (at the beginning of 2024, the company aimed for a USD $20 million net revenue run rate and expanding the customer base to 6,600 active monthly users). 

That was reliant solely on operations within Ontario. 

Franchise Structure Moving Ahead 

Company founder Justin Park revealed a new approach for the business moving ahead – a decentralized franchise model, aiming for Betty to evolve into a worldwide casino brand while also entering markets such as the U.S. and Latin America. 

The concept is to transform into the “McDonald’s of iCasino,” according to Park, collaborating with managers and equipping them with successful tools, while licensing fees return to the parent company of Betty. 

The resources given to franchise managers would encompass brand elements (name, trademark, website domain), technology (front and back offices), alongside a dedicated CTO, digital user acquisition strategies, an operating playbook, and startup funding (equity, credit lines for user acquisition). 

Local managers, or CEOs, will possess "substantial" ownership shares with the freedom to secure more funding and provide equity options. 

Dimitrov serves as the CEO of the first franchise that is both owned and operated. 

What Are the Opportunities for Further Growth in Ontario?

“We have a few key initiatives for 2025. The first big change for our players will be our native mobile app, which is already in the making,” Dimitrov said.

"Further down the line, we’re preparing significant changes to our loyalty program, which aims to further improve the value we’re offering. Last but not least, we’re always looking to add new titles to our games portfolio, and there are some exciting additions coming.”