Betty Casino Targets UK Expansion Amid Massive Gaming Tax Hike
Posted on: May 5, 2026, 05:38h.
Last updated on: May 6, 2026, 04:45h.
- Group CEO announces plans as part of Q1 2026 investor update
- Company introduced decentralized franchise business model in 2025
- Betty launched in regulated Ontario igaming market in February 2023
Toronto-based iGaming operator Betty Gaming CA Ltd. has secured a UK operating license and is set to launch in the British market on June 1, Group CEO Justin Park announced.
Franchise Model
Park confirmed the impending launch during Betty’s Q1 2026 investor update, (announced via his LinkedIn account) confirming that the company has been granted a license from the UK Gambling Commission.
The UK is our first market outside Ontario and proof-of-concept for the decentralized ‘franchise’ model that will scale us globally,” he said.
In 2025, Betty announced plans to become a global casino brand via a franchise style business model. This approach sees the firm partner with so-called ‘top tier managers’, providing them with all relevant tools to enable their success.
This includes brand and technology assets, a dedicated CTO, tools for digital user acquisition, an operational playbook, and start-up capital. This aims to give managers ownership in the franchise, as well as the freedom to expand their business, raise additional capital and offer equity.
Betty will generate IP licensing fees from third-party franchisees.
Preserving the Culture
Addressing leadership of the new UK franchise, Park lauded Betty UK CEO Adele Baker, indicating his growing confidence in her effectiveness in guiding the expansion.
“She has set the bar extremely high for talent and has an uncanny understanding of the core question: when do you just copy what has worked in Ontario and when do you innovate?” said Park.
“The team, made up of both Betty-natives and newcomers, is really starting to gel. I’m learning that preserving the Betty culture is vital to our continued success and incredibly hard to do,” Park added.
UK Launch in June
Betty UK is slated to launch on June 1, subject to regulatory clearances being received, and the new licensee is entering a challenging environment for online gambling operators.
In April, the UK government’s controversial increase in Remote Gaming Duty from 21% to 40% came into force, with the increase applying to online gambling products such as slots and iCasino gaming.
Addressing the likely impact to the UK team, Betty CEO Park suggested they had developed a “very interesting approach” to dealing with the effects of the duty increase, an approach he claimed, “goes far beyond lowering RTP and lowering supplier fees”.
“I’ve learned the UK player is very similar to who we serve today in Ontario. One thing that surprised me is how much players want reliable chat-based customer service,” he added.
Betty UK will be using 23 Broadway, the player acquisition technology platform.
Female-Focused Brand
Betty and Will Ventures, alongside 359 Capital, CEAS Investments and Dave Bartman, announced in March they would be providing 23 Broadway with $3 million in seed funding. 23 Broadway’s Atlas platform, which uses artificial intelligence, was used by Betty to scale faster in Ontario, without needing to build marketing infrastructure or technology themselves.
The company went live in Ontario’s regulated igaming market in February 2023, as a female-focused icasino brand.
The company will also be launching in Alberta, when that new regulated market goes live in July.
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