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- Quebec’s Oct. 5 provincial election could dramatically open the province’s online gambling market, as both the Liberal Party and Parti Québécois support licensing private operators and creating regulatory frameworks for prediction markets.
- With an estimated 73% of Quebec’s iGaming market currently unregulated, industry groups are pushing for clear, modernized rules that move the province beyond Loto-Québec’s state monopoly.
Quebec’s Oct. 5 provincial election could reshape the province’s online gambling market, with both the Quebec Liberal Party and Parti Québécois backing a regulated framework for private operators and new oversight for prediction markets.
The proposals matter because Quebec is one of Canada’s largest potential iGaming markets, and current industry estimates cited in the campaign debate say 73% of the province’s online gambling market remains unregulated. That leaves a large share of activity outside the province’s channelized system centered on Loto-Québec.
Liberals and PQ back a regulated framework
If elected, the Liberals said they would give the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux authority to license and oversee all online gambling platforms operating in Quebec. The party also said it would impose rules on advertising, addiction prevention, and the protection of minors.
The Liberals further said they would create an independent organization focused on prevention and support for people with gambling addiction, funded by the industry. On prediction markets, the party said the Autorité des marchés financiers and the Régie would jointly address what it called the need to “fill the regulatory gap surrounding prediction markets.”
The Parti Québécois told Radio-Canada it would take the same approach if elected.
That puts two major parties behind some form of market opening and formal oversight, even as the incumbent Coalition Avenir Québec has remained committed to preserving Loto-Québec’s monopoly and not opening the market to private competitors.
Market size and operators at stake
The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, an industry group representing operators including DraftKings, Flutter, Entain, Betway, Bet99, Rush Street, and Apricot, said the campaign has created an opening to modernize the province’s rules.
Spokesperson Ariane Gauthier said the coalition is “pleased that the election campaign is providing an opportunity to discuss the modernization of the regulatory framework for online gaming.” She added that “a broad consensus is emerging in Quebec in favor of establishing clear rules that must apply equally to both Loto-Québec and private companies offering online gaming.”
According to figures cited in the article, Quebec’s total available iGaming market in 2026 is estimated at CA$3.09 billion, with 27% channelled and 73% unregulated. The same data says $2.3 billion in gross gaming revenue is being lost to the unregulated market.
What to watch before and after Oct. 5
The immediate question is which party wins on Oct. 5. A Leger poll cited in the report showed the Parti Québécois at 29% support among decided voters, followed by the Liberals at 23%, CAQ at 21%, and the Parti conservateur du Québec at 17%.
What remains unclear is how any new system would be structured if a party follows through after the election. Open questions include how the Régie and AMF would divide responsibilities, what specific restrictions would apply to advertising and responsible gambling, and whether Loto-Québec would keep any monopoly protections under a new model.
Source: As reported by casino.org.
