In Quebec, online gambling remains a government-run monopoly under Loto-Québec. But the calls for that to change are getting louder; no longer just an industry issue, iGaming has emerged as an election campaign point.
Ahead of the provincial vote on Oct. 5, the leaders of two challenging political parties found common ground on one idea in particular: that it may be time for Quebec to follow Ontario and Alberta by welcoming commercial iGaming.
One of several proposals detailed by Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard on Sept. 9 was to give the provincial alcohol and gambling regulator, Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ), the responsibility of licensing and overseeing all Quebec online gambling activity.
That seems to advocate for an Ontario-like and Alberta-like iGaming model, wherein approved operators are formally allowed to compete with the government’s platform. Milliard said that change, among many others unrelated to gaming, would help protect Quebecers and raise approximately $1.7bn in recurring savings.
The Liberal leader stressed that under the proposed new Quebec online gambling model:
- All Quebec online gambling sites would need to seek a license from the provincial regulator
- There would be strict rules on advertising, addiction prevention, and protecting minors
- A new independent, industry-funded organization would be dedicated to gambling addiction prevention and support
Parti Quebecois agrees with Liberals’ iGaming idea
A recent Léger poll published on Sept. 8, a day before Milliard’s comments, determined that the Liberals are polling third in the race ahead of the election, with 22% of voting intentions. The incumbent government, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) that is now led by Premier Christine Fréchette, are second with 23%.
In first place are the Parti Québécois (PQ), at 29%.
And the PQ’s own leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said in an interview with Radio-Canada on Sept. 9 that he supports the Liberals’ “brilliant” plan for regulated Quebec online gambling.
“Mr. Milliard says — and he’s right, I’ve done the research — online sports betting in Quebec is a Wild West,” Plamondon said, as quoted by The Canadian Press. “American companies arrive, then advertise, and are not regulated.
“Ontario decided to clean up and collect a tax on these activities, and it raised an additional $300m. It’s an excellent idea that may fly under the radar because it’s a bit original, but imagine if we take $300m and invest it in homelessness, for children who are hungry at school, for learning disabilities. We could have an immediate impact.”
Leger’s data also found that both the Liberals and PQ have dipped in popularity in the polls in recent weeks, while the incumbent CAQ, which does not support ending Loto-Québec’s gaming monopoly, has trended upwards.
Politicians’ support follows iGaming coalition recommendations
The politicians’ support and Milliard’s basic idea for how to open up Quebec online gambling are similar to recommendations made by the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC) to the provincial government in February.
The QOGC is a Quebec online gambling lobbying group comprising online casino supplier Games Global, technology firm and investment partner Apricot Investments, and several privately held iGaming operators that are licensed and operational in both Ontario and Alberta:
- Bet99
- Betway
- DraftKings
- Entain (co-owner of BetMGM and owner of Sports Interaction and others)
- FanDuel parent Flutter
- Rush Street Interactive (owner of BetRivers)
In a statement published on Sept. 10, the QOGC said it welcomes the “commitment” by the Quebec Liberals and PQ to recognize and regulate private iGaming platforms.
“The positions taken by the various political parties demonstrate that a broad consensus is emerging in Quebec in favour of establishing clear rules that must apply equally to both Loto-Québec and private companies offering online gaming,” said coalition spokesperson Ariane Gauthier. “The members of the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition look forward to working together with government authorities and stakeholders to turn these commitments into reality.”
Several of the QOGC’s members are also members of the Canadian Gaming Association, which declined to comment when asked by Canadian Gaming Business.
Loto-Quebec’s monopoly under scrutiny
One of the biggest arguments made for expanding Quebec online gambling (or for legalizing commercial iGaming in any province) is capturing more revenue and protecting players by bringing existing grey-market activity under provincial regulation.
In February, the QOGC claimed that around 2,000 websites currently offer Quebec online gambling despite the fact that the government only officially authorizes Loto-Québec to do so.
“Why limit the regulation of online gaming to Loto-Québec sites alone, when the offering available on the Internet is much broader?” asked Gauthier at that time.
In its new public communication, the QOGC cited 2025 data from market research firm Blask that suggested that Loto-Québec captures only 17% of Quebec online gambling activity. Data presented by iGaming lobbyists at SBC Summit Canada in May suggested it was a little higher, at 27%. In comparison, in Ontario, that figure is reputedly around 90% after four years of regulated iGaming, while Alberta is aiming for at least 75% by 2028.
Incidentally, Milliard’s estimate of $300m in savings by 2028 through regulating Quebec online gambling is the same amount the QOGC said is currently being lost in annual tax revenue by not allowing competition to Loto-Quebec.
“Loto-Québec’s monopoly no longer ensures control over online gaming, and it is high time for the government to bring order to the situation,” added the QOGC’s Sept. 10 statement.
Canadian Gaming Business reached out to Loto-Québec for comment for this story, but did not receive a response.
Back in February, the crown corporation’s Head of Media Relations Renaud Dugas stated that the QOGC is seeking “to legalize what’s illegal and further develop a market that only benefits foreign companies — not players.”
Prediction markets controls also on Liberals’ agenda
Meanwhile, Quebec Liberal leader Milliard is also concerned with the spread of prediction markets, which have exploded in popularity as a sports betting equivalent in the U.S., and on which federal Canadian regulators clarified their stance last month.
Milliard’s proposals noted that his potential government would ask the RACJ and the Autorité des marchés financiers (Quebec’s financial regulator) “to fill the regulatory gap surrounding prediction markets, which are currently accessible in Quebec without any regulatory framework.”
In line with federal regulators’ rules, sports, political, and many other event contracts are supposed to be unavailable to Canadians. U.S. prediction markets giant Polymarket, said earlier this summer that it had blocked access in Quebec.
In late August, Loto-Quebec used federal regulators’ statement on prediction markets to “reiterate that in Quebec, there is no ambiguity: the only 100% legal casino and sports betting site is lotoquebec.com.”
