Who regulates online gambling in Quebec?

Loto‑Québec (Société des loteries du Québec) Act respecting the Société des loteries du Québec (chapter S‑13.1)

province · Canada

Online gambling and sports betting in Quebec

Q: Is online sports betting legal in Quebec?

Legal. Quebec runs a monopoly model: Loto‑Québec’s Espacejeux/Mise‑o‑jeu+ are the only authorised online casino and sports betting platforms; retail sports betting is also run by Loto‑Québec. No private online licences.

Quebec runs a monopoly model: Loto‑Québec’s Espacejeux/Mise‑o‑jeu+ are the only authorised online casino and sports betting platforms; retail sports betting is also run by Loto‑Québec. No private online licences.

Online sports betting: Legal
Online casino: Legal
Retail sports betting: Legal
Online live since: 2021-08

Checked 2026-09-21. Not legal advice.

QuebecOnline sports betting: Legal · Online casino: Legal

Online betting and casino legal 9
Online sports betting only 3
No legal online gambling 1

Boundaries: Statistics Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada), via geoBoundaries

Casino, sports betting, poker and more

Casino and poker are both offered online only through Loto-Québec’s monopoly; private operators are not provincially licensed. Sports betting is also monopoly-based through Loto-Québec (Mise-O-Jeu), so Quebec treats all three as state-run products rather than open-market ones.

Product	Status	What that means
Online sports betting	Legal	—
Online casino	Legal	—
Online poker	Licensed	Legal only via Loto-Québec’s monopoly platform (Espacejeux/OK Poker); private offshore rooms are not Quebec-licensed.
Sweepstakes and social casinos	Unregulated	Set nationally. Canada treats sweepstakes/social casinos as promotional contests, not licensed gambling, generally allowing them if they comply with the federal Competition Act 1985 and Criminal Code 1985 contest provisions. Quebec functionally bans access to such sites due to stricter contest rules; this is described as a “Quebec exception,” not a specific sweepstakes‑casino statute. No federal or provincial law expressly banning dual‑currency sweepstakes casinos (e.g., Chumba, McLuck) was identified, nor any cease‑and‑desist campaigns specific to them as of 2026. These platforms operate without provincial gambling licences, in an unregulated grey area under contest law rather than gaming regulation.
Prediction markets	Restricted	Set nationally. Sports/entertainment event contracts: restricted – CSA/CIRO Joint Staff Notice 91‑307 (2026) says they’re not securities/derivatives and bars CIRO dealers from offering them, leaving only gambling-law routes. Economic/financial/climate event contracts via Wealthsimple/IBKR (Kalshi-linked): licensed – allowed as securities/derivatives through CIRO-authorized dealers under March 2026 CIRO bulletin and CSA‑CIRO guidance 91‑307 (2026). Direct Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood event contracts to retail Canadians: restricted – not authorized as securities/derivatives and not provincially licensed for gambling; operate only via geo-blocks or offshore without Canadian approval (no specific cease‑and‑desist). Overlap with gambling law remains unresolved; BC’s Independent Gambling Control Office (2026) confirms sports/entertainment event contracts are gambling under Criminal Code and provincial gaming statutes.
Mystery boxes	Not confirmed	Set nationally. Criminal Code gaming law exists, but I found no Canada-wide regulator or court decision specifically classifying paid mystery boxes/loot boxes as gambling; BC litigation 2026 left criminal gaming theory out.

Key facts

Only Loto‑Québec may legally offer online gambling in Quebec.
Online sports betting is offered as Mise‑o‑jeu+ on Espacejeux; retail as Mise‑o‑jeu.
Online casino, poker and lottery are offered only via Espacejeux.
Minimum gambling age is 18 for online and retail gambling.
Players using offshore sites are not prosecuted, but those sites are not authorised.
A 2016 ISP‑blocking law (Bill 74) was struck down as unconstitutional.
Quebec maintains a state monopoly; no private online operators are licensed.
Loto‑Québec uses geolocation; players must be in Quebec to wager online.

Regulator and law

Loto‑Québec (Société des loteries du Québec) — lotoquebec.com

Act respecting the Société des loteries du Québec (chapter S‑13.1)

Advertising unlicensed gambling in Quebec

Not confirmed. unconfirmed.

Sources state advertising unauthorised gambling services is prohibited across Canada, but do not pinpoint a Quebec‑specific statute; enforcement details are unclear.

National rules also apply — see online gambling regulation in Canada.

Checking a licence

The regulator publishes a list of licensed or authorised operators.

https://espacejeux.com

Recent developments

Federal single‑event sports betting legalised August 2021; Quebec launched Mise‑o‑jeu+ shortly after.
2024 finance ministry confirmed intention to keep Loto‑Québec online monopoly.
2026 reports: opposition parties propose opening Quebec’s online market to private operators, but no reform enacted yet.
2026 commentary reiterates only Loto‑Québec’s Espacejeux/Mise‑o‑jeu+ are authorised for online gambling.

What we could not confirm

Exact effective date of Quebec’s initial online casino launch on Espacejeux is not clearly stated in current sources.
Specific Quebec‑level statute or regulation banning advertising of unlicensed/offshore gambling is not clearly identified; sources mainly describe a general Canadian prohibition.
Whether Quebec actively blocks offshore poker/casino sites versus simply not licensing them
Whether Kahnawake licensing changes the Quebec status for consumer-facing sites
A specific Quebec regulator ruling on loot boxes/mystery boxes
A specific Quebec or Canadian ruling classifying prediction markets as gambling versus financial derivatives
A Quebec statute or guideline expressly addressing sweepstakes/social casinos

Sources

Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.