Betty gives $2M to local community
Bingo has always been about community. Here’s how we’re growing that impact.
Today, Betty presented a cheque for just over $2M to the Kirkland and Area Bingo Association. It’s the first donation generated through our new iBingo model, and it won’t be the last.
A portion of revenue from every game at Betty, not just bingo, goes back to licensed charities in Kirkland Lake. The story behind it is a town, a bingo hall, and the people who keep both running.
Bingo’s roots in community
Bingo started as a 16th-century Italian state lottery, picked up new rules in France, and crossed to North America in 1929 as a carnival game called Beano, renamed after a player in Georgia shouted “Bingo!” by accident.
Within a decade it had settled into church basements and Legion halls as the way community groups raised money.
In Ontario, charitable bingo is licensed by the province and funds local organizations through halls like the one in Kirkland Lake.
Meet Kirkland Lake
Kirkland Lake sits about 600 kilometres north of Toronto, on Highway 66, with a population of roughly 8,000. The town was built on gold, with five operating mines at its peak in the 1930s.
It’s also a hockey town with one of the most concentrated talent pipelines in NHL history; Ted Lindsay, Dick Duff, the Plager brothers and Ralph Backstrom all grew up here. It’s also a town that, like much of Northern Ontario, runs its community life through volunteer organizations, service clubs, and fundraising halls.
Inside the Kirkland Lake Bingo Hall
The bingo hall has been running since 1989, with regular games every week and a roster of local charities that are supported by it. Betty acquired the hall in late 2025; every employee stayed on, the hall kept its name, and weekly bingo continues on.
The same regulars come in on the same nights, and the cheques still get cut to the same local organizations they always have. The main change is the scale of support; with Betty’s iBingo offering now connected to the hall, the funding those charities receive is set to grow with every play on Betty.
Who the donation supports
The cheque is distributed through the Kirkland and Area Bingo Association, which directs proceeds to a roster of licensed local organizations. Among them: the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Royal Canadian Legion, Knights of Columbus, Friends of Trinity United Church, Paroisse Assomption, Doric Lodge No. 623, King Lebel Volunteer Fire Department, and the Save the LaSalle Theatre campaign.
The youth and recreation side includes Red Fox Air Cadets, junior curling, the Kirkland Lake Skating Club, the Aquatic Club swim team, the local soccer association, and Swamp Donkeys Mile of Gold Basketball.
Where the money comes from
Under Ontario’s charitable gaming framework, a portion of all Betty iGaming revenue in Ontario, which includes both slots and bingo, flows back to local charities. That means every player at Betty contributes, whether they ever buy a bingo card or not.
Charitable bingo halls across Ontario have funded community groups this way for decades through in-person play, and Betty’s iBingo model takes community digital.
Looking ahead
Charitable bingo halls across Ontario have funded community groups this way for decades, and the digital model is only in its early days.
The May 20 cheque is the first, and from here the charitable model grows: a bigger player base means bigger cheques for Kirkland Lake organizations.
FAQs
How much did Betty donate? $$2,001,808,20, presented on May 20, 2026 to the Kirkland and Area Bingo Association.
Where does the money come from? A portion of Betty’s total iGaming revenue in Ontario, distributed through Ontario’s regulated charitable gaming framework.
Does playing slots or other games at Betty contribute too? Yes. The donation is generated from revenue across every Betty vertical, not bingo alone. Every player at Betty contributes to the model.
Who decides which charities get the money? The Kirkland and Area Bingo Association distributes proceeds to its roster of licensed local charities under the rules set by Ontario’s charitable gaming framework. Betty does not select individual recipients.
Is the Kirkland Lake Bingo Hall still open? Yes. The hall has been running since 1989 and continues to operate under its original name, with all four staff retained after Betty’s acquisition in late 2025.
Will Betty donate again? Yes. The May 20, 2026 cheque is the first proof point of an ongoing model. Future contributions are expected to grow.
How can players support the initiative? Playing any game at Betty contributes to the charitable model.
