Quebec Urged to Reform Online Gambling Landscape
Quebec is being urged to reform its restrictive online gambling laws as mounting pressure from industry leaders and potential revenue loss fuels calls for regulation ahead of the 2026 election.
Since 2022, the online iGaming industry in Canada has been transformed. That was the year that Ontario opened its digital doors to licensed casinos and sports betting operators, and others have followed.
Despite this open landscape, Quebec has so far refused to shift on the issue. Online gambling outside of the provincial monopoly remains outlawed, but the government is facing increased pressure to relax its legislation.
Grey Area Access
While residents of Quebec cannot legally play anywhere other than the state-owned platform, they are able to access offshore gambling operators. These companies are established brands that are happy to take customers from across Canada and beyond. The fact that there are local restrictions isn’t an issue for them, and they continue to operate in plain sight.
At the Canadian Gaming Summit in June, delegates suggested that Quebec may be losing up to $CAD 2 billion in revenue. Players want to access games, and they are heading to offshore operators. While that money drifts away from the province, the government has been urged to reconsider its ban on online gambling.
Pros and Cons
There will always be arguments for and against online real money stakes, and these are factors that each province has had to consider. The biggest advantage, as far as most regions are concerned, relates to projected income. Legalised online play can provide a significant boost to provincial revenue, and that fact is proven by Ontario.
Since opening up to the wider industry in April 2022, income generated by online gambling has reached CA$3.2 billion. These are sums that most other provinces found hard to ignore.
Legalising the practice also helps to reduce the need to seek out rogue operators. Players will continue to seek out offshore companies, but the urge is lessened by the increase in local platforms.
Clearly, there is an emphasis on lost revenue as far as Quebec is concerned. The figures show the potential for income, and the recent summit suggests as much as CAD$2 billion is heading out of the state.
Coalition Pressure
The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC) has outlined plans to work with the provincial government in an effort to set up a regulated framework. The QOGC is backed by some of the biggest brands in the industry with a view to boosting involvement from the private sector.
Ariane Gauthier acted as spokesperson for the QOGC at the Canadian Gaming Summit, and she believes that the provincial election in 2026 will provide the catalyst for change within the industry.
The current government-led games are under fire for many reasons, and it’s also said that prizes are not in step with inflation. Loto-Quebec stands alone for now, but the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition believes that the system is stagnating.
A perceived lack of value will be another reason why players turn to offshore operators. It seems unlikely that any concrete measures will be introduced before the 2026 election, but lobbying has begun, and the online gambling sector in Quebec is under severe pressure to change.