Quebec's newly elected government inherits a question that industry figures say is no longer hypothetical: whether the province will join Ontario and Alberta in licensing private online gambling operators. The issue surfaced unexpectedly during the October 5 provincial election campaign, and panelists at SBC Summit in Lisbon on September 29 described the shift in tone from Quebec politicians as a notable break from the status quo.
A Political Pivot Few Saw Coming
Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, told the Lisbon panel that support for iGaming expansion from Quebec politicians "came out of the blue," noting that provincial figures had previously focused on defending Loto-Québec's position rather than opening the market. That changed when Quebec Liberal Party leader Charles Milliard included licensing and regulation of online gambling in his platform to modernize the province. Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon later echoed the idea in national media comments. Both framed it as a revenue question: money currently flows to platforms operating outside Loto-Québec's purview, untaxed and unsupervised by the province. St-Pierre Plamondon's party won the election, and he is set to be sworn in as premier, with Milliard now leading the official opposition. Neither the new government's legislative priorities nor a timeline for any gambling policy have been announced.
Why Quebec's Market Looks Different
Quebec's gambling landscape is structured differently from other provinces because the government owns and operates all gaming activity through Loto-Québec, a fact Burns argued could simplify a transition to a licensed commercial model rather than complicate it. Industry estimates presented at the Lisbon panel suggested Loto-Québec captures a minority share of online gambling activity in the province, with most wagering occurring on platforms outside its regulatory reach. Ron Segev of Segev LLP, who advises operators entering Canadian markets, predicted Quebec would move toward regulation within roughly two to three years, following the precedent set by Ontario's 2022 launch and Alberta's more recent entry in July 2025.
Panelists were clear, however, that Quebec is unlikely to simply replicate those models. As an officially francophone province, Quebec enforces language requirements that extend well beyond translation. PointsBet Canada's Brooke Hilton noted that platforms would need to operate in Quebecois French as the primary language, with English as secondary, affecting everything from game content to customer support. Burns described it as "not a rip-and-tear-and-translate" exercise, suggesting the province's regulatory framework will likely be more demanding than what operators encountered when entering Ontario or Alberta.
The Broader Canadian Trend
Quebec's possible entry fits a wider pattern. Burns pointed to British Columbia's upcoming election and active discussions in Atlantic Canada as signs that provincial governments are increasingly unwilling to leave online gambling revenue entirely to unregulated offshore sites. New Brunswick has confirmed it is examining regulatory options, and Atlantic Lottery has flagged significant annual revenue leaving the region through platforms it cannot oversee. Burns forecast that most of the country could have regulated iGaming within three to five years, though the panel's moderator, Matthew Showell, characterized that timeline as an optimistic one.
- Ontario's regulated market, launched in April 2022, has produced billions in provincial revenue and a channelization rate above 90%, though scrutiny has followed after iGaming Ontario shelved a commissioned problem gambling study.
- Alberta opened its market to commercial operators in July 2025, reaching 50 licensed sites by an October deadline for previously unregulated platforms.
- Quebec's unregulated market share and lost tax revenue remain estimates from industry advocates rather than confirmed government figures.
What Regulation Would and Would Not Solve
Expanding licensed access does not eliminate the underlying risks of online gambling, and regulators in Ontario have faced criticism for how transparently they track problem gambling outcomes once a market opens. A move toward regulation in Quebec would bring consumer protections, such as licensing standards, advertising rules, and dispute resolution mechanisms, that unregulated offshore platforms do not offer. It would also create tax revenue and oversight capacity the province currently lacks. Segev cautioned operators preparing for Quebec to expect a longer runway than in previous provincial launches, given the distinct compliance, content, and staffing requirements the market is likely to impose. For consumers, the practical effect of regulation is accountability: licensed operators answer to a provincial authority, while offshore sites generally do not.