Betty Gaming has taken another step towards expansion after receiving investment from online casino specialists HappyHour in its latest seed round.

The move sees the online casino operator gain further capital after raising a $5m seed round in February ahead of its soft launch in Ontario with a focus on ‘casual’ iCasino users, such as female slot players.

The previous seed round was led by Karlani Capital and was created to help fund Betty’s operations in Ontario and the development of its proprietary iCasino platform, with the firm also securing a $1.8m pre-seed in March last year.

Betty also enhanced its compliance advisory services in Ontario by teaming up with Kinectify in March.

HappyHour, meanwhile, was at the forefront of the latest seed extension round, having identified Betty as ‘well-placed to challenge the landscape of online casinos made for the sports betting market by creating a safe, social and inclusive experience for slot players’.

Robin Reed, Managing Partner of HappyHour, explained: “We are excited to be leading Betty’s seed extension in order to support the company’s growth plans. The management team at Betty.ca is strong, and we believe that they are well-positioned to succeed in the North American market.

“Combining their operational know-how and proprietary technology with our product expertise, we hope to help Betty.ca expand its reach and bring its unique gaming experience to a wider audience.”

Other strategic investment partners involved in the seed round included ‘industry veteran’ Seth Young, industry angel investor Mark Mariani, Endzone Media and Milwaukee Venture Partners.