Quebec Online Gaming Advocates Propose Modeling Regulations After Ontario and Alberta
In a call made during the 2025 Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC) has urged the Quebec government to establish a competitive, regulated online gambling market. The coalition, formed in 2023, includes DraftKings, Flutter (FanDuel), Entain (BetMGM), Rush Street Interactive (BetRivers), Super Group's Betway, Canadian brand Bet99, and others.
The QOGC argues that a competitive, licensed framework could channel more play into the regulated market and recover revenue now going offshore. They estimate that Quebec is losing almost $2 billion a year to unregulated online operators.
The coalition points to Ontario's online casino market as a potential model. Panelists at the summit cited Ontario's track record as proof of how a competitive, regulated market can capture most of the online play, with regulated platforms accounting for over 86% of online gambling activity in Ontario.
In contrast, Loto-Quebec, a crown corporation, maintains a monopoly in the province's online gambling market through its platform, Espacejeux. The corporation captures about 23% of online play revenue, leaving about three-quarters to offshore or unregulated sites.
Some residents view crown corporations like Loto-Quebec as protectors of culture and local economic levers, which may contribute to resistance to opening the market. However, Gauthier, from the QOGC, believes that showing how the current situation in Quebec doesn't respond to the current challenge, and providing examples from Ontario, Alberta, and other countries, will help make the case for change in Quebec.
Alberta's move to a regulated online gambling market, expected as early as 2026, will add fuel to the fire for change in Quebec. Unlike Ontario, Alberta will keep its current Crown corporation, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), in a dual role as both regulator and operator through its Play Alberta platform.
The QOGC's call comes as a recent study found that nearly 90% of Alberta's online gambling activity is currently on unregulated sites. This, according to Gauthier, will bring attention to the need for a proper governance structure in Quebec.
No specific company has been identified as intending to participate in the online gambling market in Quebec in 2026, according to available search results. However, the success of the regulated private operation in Ontario may attract interested parties in the future.
Gauthier also argues that Loto-Quebec chooses what information to present, which does not include the success of the regulated private operation in Ontario, leading to an unbalanced perspective for Quebecers. The QOGC's recent study found that the corporation's results show no progress from the previous year.
In the fiscal year 2024-25, Loto-Quebec generated approximately $3 billion in total revenue and a consolidated net income of over $1.5 billion. These numbers, while impressive, do not address the potential revenue loss to offshore and unregulated sites.
As the debate continues, it is clear that the QOGC sees a need for change in Quebec's online gambling market. Whether or not this call for action will lead to a more competitive, regulated market remains to be seen.
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