Québec, Canada’s second-largest province, has yet to open its online gambling market to private operators, meaning players looking for Quebec online poker remain limited to the provincially run market under Loto-Québec.
The issue has now become part of the election campaign ahead of the October 5 vote, with both the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) and Parti Québécois (PQ), the two parties currently leading the race to form the next government, backing a regulated igaming market that would allow private operators to enter the province.
PLQ leader Charles Milliard made the first move on September 9, pledging to require online gaming platforms to obtain accreditation from the provincial government.
The proposal would expand the mandate of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) to oversee the entire sector, including Loto-Québec. A bill would be introduced during the first year of a Liberal government.
Liberal Proposal
Under the proposed framework, all online gambling operators would need to obtain provincial licences, comply with stricter advertising standards, implement addiction prevention measures and introduce enhanced protections for minors. The plan would also establish an independent, industry-funded organization dedicated to gambling harm prevention and support services.
Milliard estimates the measure could generate between C$310 million and C$320 million annually from the 2027-28 fiscal year, with part of the revenue directed to a prevention fund. The figure was included in the party’s fiscal framework published September 13.
The PQ subsequently backed the introduction of a regulated market. Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon described the proposal as “brilliant” during a television interview and said his own research showed that online sports betting in Québec was a “Wild West,” according to Les Affaires.
“Imagine if we take $300 million and invest it in homelessness, in children who go hungry at school, in learning disabilities. We could have an immediate impact,” he said, while also congratulating Milliard on the proposal.
The PQ’s position, however, remains less detailed than the Liberal proposal. The party has not published a costed regulatory framework or identified the regulator that would oversee private operators, leaving several details to be determined if it forms the next government.
The PQ has led recent published polling, although the race has tightened and results have varied between pollsters. A Pallas Data survey conducted September 5 put the PQ at 29% among decided and leaning voters, ahead of the CAQ at 24% and PLQ at 20%. Its next survey, conducted September 12, put the PQ at 27%, with the CAQ and PLQ both at 23%.
Industry and Players Back Regulation
The Québec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC), formed in 2023 to advocate for a regulatory model based on Ontario, has welcomed the positions taken by both parties. Its members include some of the largest igaming companies in North America and Europe, including DraftKings, Flutter, the parent company of PokerStars and FanDuel, Entain, which owns BetMGM, and Rush Street Interactive, the parent company of BetRivers, as well as Betway and BET99.
“The positions taken by the various political parties demonstrate that a broad consensus is emerging in Québec in favor of establishing clear rules that must apply equally to both Loto-Québec and private companies offering online gaming,” said QOGC spokesperson Ariane Gauthier.
The coalition has pointed to Ontario’s regulated market as a potential model for Québec. Ontario became the first Canadian province to launch an open competitive igaming market when private operators went live in April 2022. Alberta followed on July 13, 2026, becoming the second province to establish a regulated market open to private operators.
Ontario generated C$1.26 billion in total gaming revenue during its first full year of operations, while iGaming Ontario reported C$145.7 million in direct contribution to the provincial government. By fiscal 2024-25, total gaming revenue had reached C$2.9 billion, with iGaming Ontario contributing C$261 million to the province.
The QOGC has argued that Québec could generate at least C$230 million annually from a similar licensing model, later raising its estimate to C$300 million. Those figures are industry estimates rather than government projections. The coalition currently says Québec could generate more than C$300 million annually by licensing private operators.
The group met with Québec’s finance ministry in 2023 and commissioned a Mainstreet Research survey of 1,010 Québec residents who said they played online. The survey found that 73% used privately operated platforms for online casino games and sports betting, while 26.6% used Loto-Québec’s Espace Jeux for those activities.
The QOGC has also cited a 2025 report from Blask estimating that Loto-Québec accounted for 17% of online gambling activity in the province. That figure, like the Mainstreet survey, has been used by the coalition to argue that the existing monopoly does not reflect how Québec residents are already gambling online.
In February, the coalition published four recommendations for a new system: an independent regulator, common standards for public and private operators, a licensing framework with revenue sharing, and dedicated funding for responsible gambling and prevention programs.
Online Poker Could Benefit
Québec would become the third province to open its online gambling market to private operators. With a population of around 9 million, the province would also represent one of the largest potential online poker markets in North America and could attract operators already licensed in Ontario.
Québec could eventually join Ontario and Alberta in a multi-provincial liquidity agreement, creating a three-province player pool similar to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) in the US, which allows players across participating states to compete in shared online poker pools.
Currently, the Ontario online poker market remains ring-fenced, with licensed operators serving a separate provincial player pool. A regulated Alberta online poker market has yet to launch, with the timing of any launch partly dependent on an agreement allowing players in Alberta and Ontario to share liquidity.
A Québec launch would give PokerStars, BetMGM and BetRivers, all linked to QOGC member companies, an opportunity to enter a new regulated market. Loto-Québec currently operates the province’s legal online poker offering through Espace Jeux and the Canada Poker Network.
For the operators, Québec would also add a sizable player base to the two provinces that have already moved toward competitive igaming markets. Whether that eventually develops into a shared player pool for all of Canada online poker would depend on the regulatory framework adopted by each province and any agreements governing cross-provincial play.
The election is scheduled for October 5, 2026. For the online gambling industry, the key developments after the vote will be whether either party moves forward with its stated position, how the regulatory framework is designed and whether private operators are ultimately permitted to enter the Québec market.
