Share 
Bonus TL;DR
- Quebec’s Liberal Party and Parti Québécois support replacing Loto-Québec’s monopoly with a regulated private operator framework.
- Opposing market opening, the governing CAQ continues supporting Loto-Québec’s exclusive monopoly position.
Quebec’s online gambling model has entered the provincial election campaign, with the Quebec Liberal Party and Parti Québécois backing a regulated commercial framework that would allow licensed private operators to compete alongside Loto-Québec.
The proposal would place licensing and oversight under the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) and would mark a major shift away from the province’s current monopoly model. The governing CAQ has not endorsed opening the market and continues to support Loto-Québec’s exclusive position.
Charles Milliard, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, said modernising Quebec’s online casino gambling framework would improve consumer protection while generating approximately CAD1.7 billion in recurring savings. His plan also calls for strict advertising standards, addiction-prevention measures, stronger protections for minors, and an independent industry-funded organization focused on gambling harm prevention and support services.
Ontario and Alberta are being used as comparison points
Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has endorsed the proposal and pointed to Ontario’s regulated market as an example. The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition also welcomed the political support and argued that equal regulatory standards should apply to both Loto-Québec and private operators.
According to the coalition, roughly 2,000 websites currently offer online gambling services to Quebec residents even though only Loto-Québec is officially authorized. It cited 2025 data suggesting Loto-Québec captures between 17% and 27% of the province’s online gambling activity, compared with an estimated channelisation rate of around 90% in Ontario.
Alberta is also part of the comparison. The province launched its regulated framework in July 2026 and is targeting at least 75% channelisation by 2028.
Prediction markets are part of the debate as well
Milliard has also proposed that the RACJ and Quebec’s financial regulator, the Autorité des marchés financiers, address prediction markets through added oversight. That issue has gained attention as prediction-market platforms face closer scrutiny across gambling and financial-regulatory circles.
Polymarket confirmed earlier this year that it had blocked access for users in Quebec. The restricted list now also includes Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.
What happens next will depend on the provincial election on 5 October and whether a new government chooses to replace Loto-Québec’s monopoly with a broader licensing model. Key unanswered questions include how a licensing system would be structured, what commercial terms would apply to operators, and how oversight of prediction markets would be divided.
If gambling is no longer fun, support is available through responsible gambling resources in your province.
Source: As reported by sigma.world.
