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Quebec could eventually become the next Canadian province to open its online gambling market to private operators. The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition announced last week that the Quebec Liberal Party and Parti Quebecois have both expressed support for recognizing and regulating private online gaming platforms.
It’s still too early to say that Quebec will follow Ontario and Alberta, as there is no legislation or confirmed launch date. However, having multiple political parties openly discussing private regulation is a sign that momentum is building.
The significance of the latest development is that support for regulating private online gaming is no longer coming from just one political group.
Both the Quebec Liberal Party and Parti Quebecois have now expressed support for recognizing and regulating private online gaming platforms. The positions were outlined during recent interviews with Radio-Canada as the province moves through its election campaign.
There has also been movement from the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ). At its 2025 National Convention, CAQ members supported a proposal calling for private online gaming companies to be subject to strict rules comparable to those applied to Loto-Quebec.
For the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, that creates an opening to push for a system where private operators can be regulated rather than continuing to operate outside Loto-Quebec’s framework.
One of the arguments for changing Quebec’s model is that private online gambling sites already have a significant presence in the province.
Loto-Quebec operates the province’s regulated online gambling platform, but that monopoly model hasn’t stopped residents from using private alternatives. The coalition cited a 2025 report from Blask estimating that Loto-Quebec accounts for only 17% of Quebec’s online gaming market.
Much of that betting activity falls into the gray market. These operators accept users in Quebec without being licensed or overseen by the province. Some are regulated in other jurisdictions, but they operate outside Quebec’s provincial gambling framework. Therefore, these gray-market operators aren’t subject to the same provincial rules as Loto-Quebec.
Introducing a regulated market would bring this betting activity under provincial oversight. Instead of private operators serving Quebec players from outside the regulated system, qualifying companies could be required to obtain licences, comply with consumer protection rules, and contribute tax revenue, similar to Ontario and Alberta.
Quebec can look to the example in Alberta. The province opened its regulated online gambling market to private operators in July, creating another Canadian market where sportsbooks and casinos can compete for users. That has attracted many of the same brands already active in Ontario.
Competition is continuing to grow. Fanatics is targeting a 2027 Alberta launch after going live in Ontario.
That’s important when looking at Quebec. If the province eventually adopts a similar framework, major operators would likely have plenty of incentive to enter another large Canadian market.
With Quebec having a larger population than Alberta, it would become an appealing market.
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