Although Quebec’s provincial elections are over a year away, the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, a group comprised of private mobile sports betting and iGaming firms, believes now is the time to make politicians aware that Quebec is losing money by excluding private gaming platforms.
Government Monopoly
We have seen recent examples of the government failing to maximize profits in the mobile sports betting and iGaming sector, with Washington DC’s GambetDC, which was an unmitigated disaster since its inception, while Ontario has recently decided to allow private platforms to compete.
They say competition is healthy, but right now, the province of Quebec has given the state-run and government-owned Loto-Québec a monopoly on internet gaming. It would take a vocal campaign to bring enough pressure to bear on politicians who currently believe this is a solution without a real problem.
However, recent efforts by the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition have begun to bang the drum in favor of opening the market to private platforms. It’s no surprise that the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition is comprised of companies that have a vested interest in servicing the people of Quebec.
The Coalition was founded in 2023 between Betway, Bet99, DraftKings, Entain, Flutter (FanDuel’s parent company), Games Global, and Rush Street Interactive, partnering with Apricot Investments. It was designed to work with Quebec’s politicians and local stakeholders.
Ariane Gauthier, spokesperson for the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition, said during an interview at last week’s Canadian Gaming Summit, “For us, the 2026 election is an opportunity, an additional opportunity, to bring this issue into the platforms of all political parties and to have a government that will take on this challenge starting in 2026.”
Stats Make a Case for Private iGaming Platforms
Quebec has a population of approximately 9.1 million people, slightly bigger than Virginia, and if residents want to gamble on the internet with a licensed entity, they have only one choice: government-owned and operated Loto-Québec.
However, data released by lobbyist Troy Ross, president of TRM Public Affairs, during last week’s Canadian Gaming Summit paints a picture of only 27% of Quebec’s betting occurring with Loto-Quebec, while all the other gaming is done with unlicensed operators. That means that although Quebec has a monopoly on licensed gaming, more than 70% of the wagering activity is going somewhere else, and the government is not generating taxes on that revenue.
But talking to the right people and drilling this home is critical. The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition has been making the rounds with all the major political parties in anticipation of the elections in October 2026.
“I think the reception from the different political parties is different because there are different interests,” Gauthier said. “I think we’ve had very good discussions with the Quebec Liberal Party. As for the [Parti Québécois] and Québec Solidaire, they are very interested in public safety, responsible gaming, how we completely miss the mark. With Loto-Québec protecting around 25% to 30% of the players online, it leaves a lot of people playing on the unregulated market.”
Ontario has a vibrant online gaming market replete with private firms, while Alberta is expected to open its market up to third-party firms next year and eliminate the government’s monopoly through PlayAlberta.
“The current model is completely outdated, and we need to pivot,” Gauthier remarked regarding Quebec’s online gaming status. “Will it be in one year, two years, or five years? I can’t promise that, but it will happen, and I hope sooner than later.”
