Quebec has one legal online casino: Loto-Québec's lotoquebec.com, the platform long known as Espacejeux. For more than fifteen years the province has kept online gambling a government monopoly, fought — and lost — a court battle to block offshore sites, and watched Ontario and Alberta open their markets to private operators instead.
That may be about to change. Quebec's October 5, 2026 election brought in a new government, and online gambling regulation was on the campaign agenda. Here's how Quebec online casinos work today, what Loto-Québec offers, the legal history every Quebec player should know, and what could come next.
How Quebec online casinos work
Under Canada's Criminal Code, only a province can conduct and manage gambling, including online casino games. In Quebec that role belongs to Loto-Québec, a Crown corporation, which launched its online platform, Espacejeux.com, on December 1, 2010.
Today the platform operates as lotoquebec.com, and the old espacejeux.com address forwards to it — though some game pages and account screens still carry the Espacejeux name. Same platform, same account.
To play, you must be 18 or older and a Quebec resident. That's a year younger than Ontario and British Columbia, where the minimum is 19.
One quirk of Quebec's system: the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) licenses bingo, charity lotteries and contests, but it does not regulate Loto-Québec's online casino. Loto-Québec runs the province's online gambling without a separate gambling regulator watching over it the way the AGCO oversees Ontario's market.
What lotoquebec.com offers
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Casino: slots, table games, instant games and a live casino with real dealers, plus progressive slot jackpots such as Powerbucks and MegaJackpots that are linked across provinces.
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Poker: OK POKER, played on a network shared with players from other provinces, so tables fill more easily than Quebec alone could support.
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Sports betting: Mise-o-jeu+, which has offered single-event betting since federal law changed on August 27, 2021.
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Bingo and lotteries: network bingo plus all of Loto-Québec's draw games.
Deposits and limits
The minimum deposit is generally $20. Accepted methods include Canadian-issued Visa, Mastercard and Amex credit cards (prepaid cards aren't accepted), Visa and Mastercard debit, Interac e-Transfer, Apple Pay, Google Pay, online bill payment, and Argent Web vouchers ($10 minimum). Our Canadian payment methods guide compares these methods in more detail.
Loto-Québec requires every player to set a weekly deposit limit. Lowering it takes effect immediately; raising it only applies after 24 hours — a deliberate cooling-off period. Identity is checked at sign-up through Equifax, with the Interac Verification Service or ID documents as fallbacks; optional two-step verification adds account security.
Quebec vs. Ontario vs. British Columbia
| Quebec | Ontario | British Columbia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal online casinos | Loto-Québec only | 84 sites from 49 operators | BCLC's PlayNow only |
| Market model | Closed, government-run | Open since April 2022 | Closed, government-run |
| Minimum age | 18 | 19 | 19 |
| Independent regulator for online play | No | AGCO | IGCO (since April 2026) |
| Self-exclusion | 3 months to 5 years | BetGuard (all regulated sites) | Game Break, 6 months to 3 years |
| Market opening on the table? | Under discussion after the 2026 election | Already open | No announced plan |
For the other provinces, see our guides to Ontario online casinos and British Columbia online casinos.
The site-blocking law that failed
Quebec is the only province that has tried to force internet providers to block offshore gambling sites — and the attempt is a useful lesson in how Canadian gambling law works.
In May 2016, Quebec passed Bill 74, which required internet service providers to block access to unlicensed gambling sites on a list drawn up by Loto-Québec — roughly 2,200 sites — with fines of up to $100,000 for non-compliance. Telecom companies challenged it immediately.
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In July 2018, the Quebec Superior Court found the law unconstitutional.
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On May 5, 2021, the Quebec Court of Appeal agreed, finding the law's main purpose was protecting Loto-Québec's revenue and that internet providers fall under federal telecommunications jurisdiction, not provincial.
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On March 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear Quebec's appeal, ending the case.
There has been no new blocking attempt since. That's why offshore sites remain easy to reach from Quebec today.
How much Quebec plays offshore depends on who you ask
Loto-Québec had a record year in fiscal 2025–26: total revenue topped $3 billion for the first time ($3.089 billion), and online gaming reached a record 19.2% of revenue.
How much of Quebec's online gambling Loto-Québec actually captures is disputed:
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Loto-Québec cites a Léger survey finding that 81% of Quebec online players choose lotoquebec.com.
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Industry estimates run the other way — one widely cited estimate from TRM Public Affairs suggests around 73% of Quebec's online wagering goes to unregulated sites.
The gap between those numbers is the heart of Quebec's current debate.
Offshore sites, including the many licensed by the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission — located on Mohawk territory near Montreal, established in 1996 and licensing online sites since 1999 — are treated by Quebec as unlicensed. As elsewhere in Canada, the Criminal Code targets operators rather than individual players, but offshore sites give you none of Loto-Québec's mandatory limits, its self-exclusion program or provincial accountability. If you're weighing any site, our how to choose an online casino checklist covers what to verify first.
Will Quebec open its market?
For the first time, it's a live political question.
Private operators formed the Coalition québécoise des jeux en ligne in May 2023 to push for an Ontario-style licensing model, arguing Quebec loses hundreds of millions in tax revenue to unregulated sites. Loto-Québec has pushed back hard, defending the government-run model.
During the 2026 campaign, the Quebec Liberals promised to have the RACJ license all online operators — Loto-Québec included — with stricter advertising rules and an industry-funded prevention body. The Parti Québécois leader also voiced support for regulating the market, though without a detailed plan.
The October 5, 2026 election produced a Parti Québécois minority government. As of this writing, no bill has been introduced and no regulator has been named. A regulated private market in Quebec is possible, but it's a political promise, not a timeline. We'll update this guide when concrete legislation appears.
Responsible gambling in Quebec
Loto-Québec's online tools are among the stricter in Canada:
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Self-exclusion from 3 months to 5 years — free, confidential and irrevocable for the period you choose. Promotional messages stop for the exclusion period plus 12 months.
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Game breaks from 1 to 89 days.
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Daily loss and time limits, alongside the mandatory weekly deposit limit.
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A play-habits dashboard showing your activity over time.
Free, confidential help is available 24/7 from Jeu : aide et référence at 1-800-461-0140 (514-527-0140 in the Montreal area).
Taxes on Quebec winnings
Recreational gambling winnings aren't taxed in Quebec — Revenu Québec, like the CRA, treats them as non-taxable, though income you later earn on your winnings is taxable. The exceptions, including professional poker players and US casino wins, are covered in are gambling winnings taxable in Canada?
For a country-wide view of your legal options, see Online Casinos Canada 2026.
FAQ
Is online gambling legal in Quebec? Yes, through Loto-Québec's lotoquebec.com, the province's only authorized online casino. Players aren't prosecuted for using offshore sites, but those sites aren't licensed in Quebec.
What is the gambling age in Quebec? 18 — one year younger than in Ontario and British Columbia.
Is Espacejeux still available? Yes, under a new name. Espacejeux.com now redirects to lotoquebec.com, and existing accounts carry over.
Can Quebec block offshore casino sites? Not under current law. Quebec's 2016 site-blocking law was struck down by the courts, and the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear the appeal in 2022.
Will Quebec allow private online casinos? Possibly. Regulation was debated during the 2026 election, but no bill has been introduced yet.
Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money. Online gambling in Quebec is for residents aged 18+. If gambling stops being fun, contact Jeu : aide et référence free and confidentially, 24/7, at 1-800-461-0140 (514-527-0140 in Montreal). Please play responsibly.