Speaking to Canadian Gaming Business ahead of the upcoming SBC Summit Americas, Delta Bingo & Gaming CEO Leo Perri explores how its Delta Casino brand has established an edge in Ontario’s increasingly competitive iCasino market.
Delta has over 60 years of experience in the land-based gaming sector, and as you can imagine, the industry has undergone some tremendous changes during that time. Drawing upon that foundation, Perri discusses the three pillars that shape Delta’s strategy, and the secrets to creating a brand that players want to come back to.
Can you tell us more about Delta Bingo and Gaming’s long history in land-based charitable gaming in Ontario and the U.S.?
Delta Bingo and Gaming has been part of the fabric of charitable gaming in Ontario for over 60 years. What started as a straightforward bingo hall operation grew into something much more meaningful, a network of venues that last year have helped raise over $40 million for local charities and community organizations across the Province of Ontario. We currently operate 18 locations in Ontario and 2 locations in the State of Maryland.
What we are most proud of isn’t the number of locations or the revenue figures, it’s the relationships. The charities we support, the staff who’ve been with us for decades, and the players who treat our venues as a genuine gathering place. Charitable gaming is different from commercial gaming in a meaningful way: every dollar wagered has a community purpose behind it. That’s been our north star since day one, and it still is.
Delta has made notable moves into iGaming, beginning with iBingo. What does a compelling, modern iBingo offering look like, and how does Delta engage mobile and online players in a way that resonates and lasts?
When we looked at iBingo, we didn’t want to just digitize a bingo card and call it done; that would have missed the point entirely. The thing that makes bingo special, in any format, is the sense of shared experience and community. You’re not playing alone; you’re part of something. Our challenge was: how do we recreate that online?
What we landed on was a focus on live chat, special events and the structure of our jackpots. We’ve worked hard to make sure the interface feels intuitive for players who are new to online gaming while still being rich enough to keep experienced players engaged.
Mobile is central to everything we do. A significant number of our online players are on their phones, so the experience has to be seamless, fast, and genuinely fun on a screen.
Last year saw the launch of Delta Casino, with a mobile app following in 2026. How is Delta Casino uniquely positioned in such a competitive iCasino market? What sets it apart?
The Ontario iCasino market is crowded and very competitive. There are well-funded international operators with large marketing budgets competing for the same players. So, we’ve had to be thoughtful about where Delta Casino can genuinely win.
Our edge comes from a few places. First, trust. We have decades of land-based operating history in Ontario. Players and regulators know who we are. That kind of credibility is something we’ve earned over time. Second, our community connection is authentic. We’re a local operator with real people, real venues, and real charitable partnerships. All of our employees are in Ontario, which includes our chat and customer service. That resonates with a segment of players who want to feel good about where they play and who they connect with.
On the product side, we’ve focused on our bingo product replicating the sense of community achieved in a land-based centre. On the casino side we have looked to replicate popular titles on our slot products while also introducing suppliers that only offer products in the online space. The mobile app launching in 2026 was a big step as it allows us to better communicate and deepen our relationship with players who prefer gaming on the go. We’re building this for the long term, not chasing short-term acquisition at the expense of experience. Something about sustainable committed experience that will grow based on the feedback of our community of players.
In today’s online gaming world, what keeps a player coming back to a particular iGaming platform rather than looking elsewhere?
It comes down to three things: trust, value, and feeling seen.
Trust means the platform works reliably, payouts are fair and fast, and the operator behaves with integrity. Players are savvy – they talk to each other, they read reviews, and they know when something feels off. We take that seriously.
Value doesn’t just mean bonuses, though those matter. It means the overall experience feels worth the player’s time and money. Are the games fun? Is the platform easy to navigate? Do the bonusing programs actually reward them in ways they care about? We’re continually looking at our offers to make sure they’re genuinely compelling and fair with uncomplicated play-through requirements.
And feeling seen is perhaps the most underappreciated factor. Players want to feel like the platform knows them, their preferences, their history, their milestones. Personalization, done responsibly, is a powerful retention tool. When someone hits a big win or reaches a milestone, we acknowledge that in a meaningful way that goes a long way.
How can operators balance creativity, engagement, and responsible gaming?
This is a question we feel strongly about, and we want to make sure that as an operator we don’t treat responsible gaming as a constraint on creativity but rather a part of it.
At Delta, our charitable gaming roots mean we’ve always operated with the community’s wellbeing in mind. That culture carries into our digital products. Responsible gaming features such as deposit limits, session reminders, self-exclusion tools, aren’t buried in a settings menu for us; they’re part of the player experience from the start. The entire team brings a culture of Responsible gaming at every level.
Where creativity and responsible gaming intersect well, in our view, is in how engagement is designed. You can build compelling loyalty programs, exciting promotions, and fun game mechanics without relying on predatory patterns. The best operators, the ones that build lasting businesses, understand that a player who feels in control and feels respected will stay with you far longer than one who burns out.
We also work closely with the Responsible Gaming Council of Ontario and iGaming Ontario to make sure we’re meeting and exceeding our obligations. Delta Casino has been RG Check certified since 2024; we believe this certification is a pillar to our RG culture. For Delta it’s not just compliance, it’s the right thing to do.
Can you tell us more about Delta’s plans in North America for the rest of 2026 and beyond?
We’re in an exciting moment for Delta. The foundation we’ve built over 60 years in land-based gaming gives us something many iGaming entrants don’t have: operational depth, community trust, and a proven ability to run regulated gaming responsibly at scale.
For the rest of 2026, the priorities are clear: continuing to grow our iCasino and iBingo player community, expanding into additional markets, including Alberta, and deepening the integration between our land-based and digital offerings so that our players have a seamless experience across every touchpoint.
Looking further out, we’re watching the U.S. market closely and seeking out potential expansion opportunities as they may arise. The regulatory landscape is evolving quickly, and we believe our current experience positions us well to move into new markets when the timing is right.
Above all, our goal is to grow in a way that stays true to who we are, a community-rooted gaming company that takes seriously the responsibility that comes with this industry. That’s what’s driven us for 60 years, and it’s what will guide us going forward.
Leo Perri will be speaking at SBC Summit Americas on a panel session entitled ‘Designing the Future of Play: Creativity Meets Casino’, on 10 June, 4:50-5:30PM EDT. You can register for tickets here.
