Québec Online Gambling

Québec players are very fortunate — they have access to real-money online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting. The provincial lottery, Loto-Québec, provides poker and casino games through its Espace Jeux platform, while sports betting is available through its online sportsbook, Mise-O-Jeu.

But there’s a catch — Loto-Québec is also the province’s only source for legal online gambling. Québec considers all other gambling sites illegal, although it doesn’t actively block its citizens from accessing them. Instead, the sites operate in the grey market. Such sites are often regulated in jurisdictions like Curaçao, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, and Malta.

A newly-formed coalition of stakeholders in the gaming industry hopes to convince the provincial government in Québec that it should strip Loto-Québec of its monopoly on iGaming. The Québec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC) wants the province to adopt a system where private operators are regulated and issued licenses, with the operators, in turn, providing tax revenue to Québec. A similar setup for all three verticals has been established in neighboring Ontario — in a twist, with help from research paid for by Québec taxpayers.

Should the QOGC and others successfully convince Québec to overhaul how it conducts iGaming, the province could see several big-name operators launch regulated sites there. Well-known names in online poker (such as 888poker, GGPoker, and PokerStars) could one day mix with brands more established in online sports betting (DraftKings, FanDuel, theScore Bet) and casino gaming (BetMGM, BetRivers).

Watch this space for updates on the future of online gambling in Québec as developments unfold.

Québec Online Gambling: Overview

The provincial lottery, Loto-Québec, has enjoyed a monopoly on igaming in the province for several years.

Loto-Québec dove into sports betting when it launched Mise-O-Jeu in 2004. The platform was initially available only at lottery kiosks located throughout the province. When an online sportsbook launched in March 2012, Mise-O-Jeu was only allowed to accept pool bets — single-game wagers were technically not legal nor illegal in Québec or anywhere in Canada.

That all changed on August 12, 2021, when the Parliament of Canada passed Bill C-218, which amended the federal Criminal Code to allow single-event sports betting. Loto-Québec added single-game wagering that same month. Live betting was added to Mise-O-Jeu in July 2020.

Espace Jeux, which provides online casino gaming and online poker in Québec, launched in December 2010. Québecois online poker players can play against players in other Canadian provinces — British Columbia (BC), Manitoba, and soon Saskatchewan — via peer-to-peer poker on Espace Jeux. Québec and the other provinces are all members of the Canada Poker Network (CPN), an informal multi-provincial online poker compact wherein the provinces share liquidity.

All other online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting sites are considered illegal by the Québec government, and the province’s criminal code prohibits illegal lotteries and games of chance. But Québec does not restrict its citizens from accessing such sites, many of which are regulated offshore — jurisdictions that license offshore casinos include Curaçao, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man (UK), and Malta.

When the provincial government assembled an online gambling task force in the early 2010s to study how Loto-Québec’s igaming monopoly was faring and to make any recommendations for possible reform, the task force discovered that players in Québec had access to about 2,000 offshore gaming sites — more than 500 of which also had a platform in French. The statistics are likely similar today.

A report by the task force, including a list of recommendations for reform, was presented to the provincial government in 2014. The government in office at the time ultimately decided to shelve the report and keep the status quo.

In a nutshell, Québec passed on the idea of becoming the first Canadian province to have a regulated space for online gambling, declining to create a system where it would issue igaming licenses to private operators.

Ontario wasn’t shy about the idea and reportedly used the Québec online gambling task force’s report as a playbook to launch a regulated market for all three verticals in Ontario.

The industry-led QOGC hopes to convince the current government to adopt a regulated market similar to Ontario’s. The coalition argues that Québec needs an independent regulator for igaming, and that such an entity would be more appropriate for being in charge of responsible gaming — that is currently a job for Loto-Québec. Still, paradoxically the lottery also has a commercial mandate from the province.

Québec has 8.5 million residents, making it the second-most populous province in Canada. Only Ontario is bigger, with 14.2 million. Considering Ontario is currently the largest regulated market for igaming in North America, it’s reasonable to assume that a future regulated market in Québec might be more than half the size of Ontario’s.

Online Casinos, Poker Rooms, & Sportsbooks That Could Launch in Québec

If the provincial government in Québec heeds QOGC’s advice and decides to adopt a model where private operators for online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting are issued licenses, we expect to see several big names eager to launch in the province.

Many potential operators in Québec already have operations in neighboring Ontario. The province is home to dozens of online casino brands, and many also have an online sportsbook. There are also six active online poker rooms in Ontario across four networks — 888poker, the BetMGM Ontario Network, GGPoker Ontario/WSOP, and PokerStars. BetMGM Poker Ontario shares a player pool with sister platforms bwin and partypoker, forming the BetMGM Ontario Network.

Online casino gaming would be the biggest moneymaker for Québec (or any jurisdiction). It’s worth noting that the QOGC’s members include Betway, Bet99, DraftKings, and Rush Street Interactive (RSI) — all of which offer online casino gaming and sports betting in neighboring Ontario, with RSI doing so under its BetRivers flagship brand. RSI is currently developing an online poker platform based on Run It Once Poker.

Entain, which owns half of BetMGM, is also a coalition member. So is Flutter Entertainment, which owns FanDuel and PokerStars. BetMGM and PokerStars are both live with real money online poker in Ontario.

Another possibility would be for theScore Bet to launch in Québec. The brand is part of Toronto-based Score Media, a popular entity in Canadian sports media that has been owned by Penn National since October 2021.

FanDuel Québec

FanDuel is the most popular sportsbook in the US, and some of that popularity has likely spread north of the border to neighboring Ontario — although that’s difficult to quantify with precision since regulators in Ontario do not provide revenue figures by operator. Still, the Flutter brand wasted no time launching online casino gaming and sports betting in Ontario, jumping into the market on the opening day. Considering Flutter is also a member of the industry-led Québec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC), we expect it will be very interested in offering an online casino and a sportsbook in Québec as well. FanDuel could also get a boost from cross-selling opportunities from online poker on PokerStars, another Flutter brand.

DraftKings Québec

Boston-based DraftKings is arguably the second-most popular sportsbook in the US, after FanDuel. As a QOGC member, DraftKings is keen to launch its online sportsbook in the province and will likely want to go head-to-head with FanDuel in another jurisdiction. DraftKings also owns Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG), so it could potentially launch Golden Nugget as an online casino brand apart from its own — although it should be noted that Golden Nugget is not live in Ontario. DraftKings was a late entrant for sports betting in Ontario, launching in that province 44 days after the market officially opened, in May 2022.

theScore Bet Québec

Toronto-based theScore Bet made sure that it launched online casino and sports betting in Ontario on the market’s opening day. Initial reports pointed to the brand’s popularity, and it likely remains a popular option among Ontarians since the brand is part of Score Media, the most widely known sports media company across Canada. Score Media was acquired by Penn National in 2021. It is an open question whether the popularity it enjoys in English-speaking Ontario can be replicated in French-speaking Québec. Still, Penn National would likely want to deploy the brand everywhere it can.

BetMGM Québec

{i:dynamic/logos/betmgm-light.png:BetMGM online casino and sportsbook Québec:small-right}*BetMGM*, a joint venture between Entain and MGM Resorts International, launched online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting in neighboring Ontario on the second day the market was open. One week later, Entain brands bwin and partypoker also launched in the province, creating a three-skin online poker network with BetMGM. But BetMGM is also popular in the other two verticals as well. Entain is a member of the QOGC and will likely want to see BetMGM, bwin, and partypoker all launch in Québec — but only BetMGM is likely to offer online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting.

BetRivers Québec

{i:dynamic/logos/betrivers-light.png:BetRivers online casino and sportsbook Québec:small-right}Chicago-based RSI launched online casino gaming and sports betting in Ontario under its BetRivers flagship brand on the first day the market was open. RSI is also a member of QOGC, so it’s likely interested in launching BetRivers in Québec as well. RSI also acquired Phil Galfond’s Run It Once Poker platform in March 2022 and has announced plans to integrate it into its current suite. A launch of online poker is expected in late 2023 or sometime in 2024, possibly under Run It Once Poker, Powered by BetRivers.

PokerStars Québec

One of the most popular brands in the world of online poker, PokerStars is also a force in online casino gaming. It made a late entry in neighboring Ontario, launching there in late June 2022. The delay led critics to accuse Ontario regulators of creating a de facto two-tiered system, where some operators allegedly could take advantage of operating in the grey market longer than others. But PokerStars is one of the most popular offshore-regulated brands available to players in Québec, so it will likely want to launch there. The parent company of PokerStars, Flutter Entertainment, is also a member of the QOGC.

Other Potential Online Casinos and Sportsbooks in Québec

Brands that could launch an online casino and sportsbook in Québec include Betway and Bet99 — both are members of the QOGC.

Other potential online casino gaming and sports betting operators include Bally Bet, Caesars, Fitzdares, NorthStar Bets, and PointsBet. Entain brand Sports Interaction is also live in both verticals. Apollo Entertainment, Cadtree Limited, LeoVegas Gaming, Rootz Limited, and Videoslots Limited have portfolios of online casinos operating in Ontario.

Another development would be for Playtech to launch its iPoker platform in the province, opening an opportunity for several European operators — including bet365 and Betsafe — to offer online poker in Québec.

Online Gambling in Québec FAQ

Is online gambling legal in Québec?

Yes, online poker, casino gaming, and sports betting are all legal in Québec and available for players through the provincial lottery, Loto-Québec. The lottery offers online poker and casino gaming through its Espace Jeux platform, while sports betting is conducted on Mise-O-Jeu, the lottery’s online and retail sportsbook. All other sites are considered part of the grey market and are regulated by offshore entities such as Malta or the Isle of Man.

Can I gamble online for real money in Québec?

Yes. Residents can play online poker and casino games for real money in Québec on Espace Jeux and can place single-game and other wagers on Mise-O-Jeu. The provincial lottery, Loto-Québec, operates both sites.

How do I choose a reliable online gambling site in Québec?

Currently, residents of Québec interested in gambling online may only do so through Espace Jeux or Mise-O-Jeu, websites controlled by the provincial lottery. Loto-Québec. The lottery has a monopoly on igaming in the province, so all other sites are considered illegal — even if they are regulated elsewhere. Espace Jeux and Mise-O-Jeu are reliable sites and have had few problems with players.

Can I gamble using my mobile device in Québec?

Yes, the Espace Jeux and Mise-O-Jeu apps allow Québecers to play poker and casino games and to make mobile sports bets from their smartphone or tablet.

Are online poker bonuses and promotions available to Québec players?

Yes, players interested in promos and bonuses can find them on Espace Jeux, the igaming site run by the provincial lottery, Loto-Québec. All other sites for online poker are regulated offshore and considered illegal. That’s unfortunate because it’s likely that special incentives like welcome bonuses, freeroll tournaments, and loyalty programs are more generous on offshore sites. It’s an issue that should improve if Québec reforms its igaming model.

What payment methods can I use to deposit and withdraw funds?

Québec players can access various secure payment methods for depositing and withdrawing funds. Interac, a popular debit card system across Canada, is one option that is widely accepted. Credit and debit cards, e-wallets (such as PayPal and Skrill), bank transfers, and prepaid cards are also options.

Is online gambling fair and secure?

Yes, reputable online poker and casino gaming sites like Espace Jeux use Random Number Generators (RNGs). RNGs are a sophisticated system designed to ensure fair gameplay. Espace Jeux and other online casinos and poker rooms use advanced security measures, including encryption technology, to protect players’ personal and financial information.

Can I play online poker with players from other countries?

No, Québec is a segregated market for online poker, meaning players in Québec cannot play against players in other countries in another regulated poker room. Players in Québec can, however, play against other players via peer-to-peer poker on Espace Jeux on the Canada Poker Network (CPN), an informal compact with shared liquidity that currently includes British Columbia (BC) and Manitoba (and will soon feature Saskatchewan). Espace Jeux, the igaming site for the provincial lottery, Loto-Québec, is the only legal option for online poker in Québec, but it does not have shared liquidity with other countries.

What is the legal gambling age in Québec?

You must be 18 years or older to participate in any form of gambling in Québec.

Are there resources available in Québec for responsible gambling?

Yes. While no independent regulator is in charge of gaming in the province, the provincial lottery, Loto-Québec, has been assigned to ensure responsible gambling protections for players. Many people, including the industry-led Québec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC), are critical of this setup since Loto-Québec has a commercial interest in igaming. Backers of igaming reform in the province have said an independent regulatory agency would be more appropriate to put in charge of responsible gaming and problem gambling prevention in Québec.

Is PokerStars legal in Québec?

The only site that legally offers online poker in Québec is Espace Jeux, the igaming site for the provincial lottery, Loto-Québec. PokerStars and the other top online poker operators in the US — BetMGM and WSOP — are not currently regulated in Québec and are only active in the grey market.

Can I gamble at offshore casinos instead?

We do not recommend playing at offshore casinos because they do not offer the same consumer protection level as legal, regulated sites. Players on offshore sites are at a high risk of lost deposits and identity theft because they disclose their financial and personal information to unregulated sites. In the US, federal officials have warned its citizens not to use offshore sites because they have no legal recourse to collect winnings owed to them.