Bally’s has brought its revamped Bally Bet app to Ontario, merging the formerly separate Bally Bet Sportsbook and Bally Casino verticals. The company is continuing to iron out its strategy for online gambling as it prepares to go private.
Bally’s main selling point for the new app is consolidating the online casino into a shared experience with the online sportsbook. How the new app fares in Ontario will likely be a talking point as Standard General moves closer to finalizing its takeover of Bally’s.
Bally’s announces Ontario app launch
According to a Monday press release, Ontarians now have access to the new Bally Bet app. Bally’s promises “a series of in-app, email, and social media messages” which will guide “them through the migration process” to ensure “a hassle-free switch.”
Players in Ontario should note that the new app is distinct from the previous platform and not just an update of the old app. Bally’s customers in Ontario will have to download the new app afresh from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Bally’s calls the app a significant upgrade, mostly focusing on the consolidation of the online casino and online sportsbook verticals. As such, players will be able to use a single account and wallet to bet on sports and play online casino games in the app.
The content available for online casino players on the new app is ready to compete with other operators in Ontario.
Full library of live dealer and slot games on Bally Bet
The library of games available for players on Bally Bet is extensive, as online casino players in the province have come to expect. Bally Bet offers an array of slot titles along with live dealer games from both Evolution and Pragmatic Play.
In the live casino section, players will find access to game show-style entertainment that they can not only stream live in the app but participate in as well. Ontario’s regulations do not require live games to stream from studios within the province as most US jurisdictions do. As a result, Bally’s is able to share content broadcast from European studios with Ontarian players, leading to a much wider selection of unique games.
The launch of the new app in Ontario follows the same in multiple US jurisdictions like New Jersey. Amid these migrations, the future of Bally’s online gambling products is in question.
Standard General takeover looms in the near future
While there are final regulatory approvals pending, the Bally’s Corp. should soon go private. Shareholders approved an offer from investment firm Standard General that should close in the first half of 2025.
Significant cutbacks in online gambling operations in the short term seem unlikely. The app is new in so many places and Bally’s replaced the Virgin Casino app in New Jersey with its proprietary Monopoly Casino product in November.
On a longer-term basis, however, the online gambling platforms that Bally’s operates might have to earn their keep on a larger scale. Bally’s has struggled to gain market share, as evidenced by Bally Bet accounting for about 2% of the total gross online casino revenue in New Jersey for November 2024.
The new app launched in New Jersey in mid-November, so there is little data to use to evaluate its performance at this point. Even with Monopoly Casino’s contribution, the Bally’s portfolio accounted for less than 3% of the whole for the month in New Jersey.
While current shareholders’ concerns about the online gambling division’s performance will be irrelevant once Standard General assumes full control, those concerns may carry over to Standard General investors if there are no gains in either market share or profit margins. Current Bally’s chairman Soo Kim, who is also a high-level official at Standard General, has not publicly wavered in terms of committing to online gaming.
For the foreseeable future, Ontarians have a new Bally Bet app to try. If it moves the needle for players in the province, Bally’s is likely to continue to invest in it.
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