Gambling Regulation and Licensing in Province of Quebec (Canada) 2024

Key Information about Gambling in the Province

Available casinos: traditional (a small network of state-controlled casinos and gambling halls) and online casinos.

• Loi sur les loteries, les concours publicitaires et les appareils d’amusement
• Loi sur la Société des loteries du Québec

• Regie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (Régie) – this authority is responsible for the regulation of the casinos, competitions, and several lottery types control.
• Société des lotteries du Québec (Loto-Québec) – this is a governmental organization that controls all the casinos in Quebec and oversees the process of traditional lotteries and bingo game execution, as well as controls gambling equipment located in casinos all around the province.

Minimum age of the players: 18

Taxation: all prizes and winnings are free from taxes (unless you are a professional gambler).

• Here you can find the relevant contact information of the regulating authority in order to file a complaint and get additional information.
• The agameshouldremainagame.com – this is a website with detailed and useful information, which can be used to help gamblers in trouble.
• Québec – Gambling Help and Referral: (514) 527-0140 Montreal and surrounding area; 1-800-461-0140 and 1-866-767-5389 throughout province. Use it in case if gambling became an addiction or a serious issue.
• Self-Exclusion Program: this shall be used in case if you want to protect yourself or any other person from gambling (shall be used only for the traditional casinos in the province and Espacejeux service).

Quebec Laws in the Field of Gambling

Loi sur les loteries, les concours publicitaires et les appareils d’amusement (hereinafter referred to as the Lotteries Act). This is the key law of Quebec in the field of gambling. It contains general provisions about all types of gambling in the province. The most important information offered in the law: legal forms of gambling in the province, clear description for each of them, information about the licensing process, rights and obligations of the regulating authorities, main violations in the field of gambling and penalties. The Lotteries Act of Quebec was used as the foundation to created different sets of rules and laws for specific gambling types, for example, Règlement sur les jeux de casino, Règles sur les appareils d’amusement or Règles sur les appareils de loterie vidéo.

Please note the following: on the federal level, the field of gambling is regulated and governed by the Criminal Code of Canada; this document defines the rules and the conditions of operation all around the country (one can find more detailed information about the federal gambling rules.

Loi sur la Société des loteries du Québec

is the law regulating the operation of the local corporation called Société des lotteries du Québec (Loto-Québec). This law defines all the functions and rights of the corporation as well as the key principles of management and operation. Any mentioning of the Société d’exploitation des loteries et courses du Québec is all other laws represents the Loto-Québec corporation and the mentioned law.

Consumer Protection Act

it’s worth noting that every casino is considered a services provider, thus it has to comply with the regulations in the field of consumer rights protection. One can find more detailed information about the consumer rights protection offices on a special website of the Quebec government.

Please note the following: one can also use the Canadian Consumer Handbook in order to get detailed information about the protection of the consumers in Canada. One can use the Régie website and open the Lois et règlements – Jeux section in order to get familiar with other laws in the field of gambling in Quebec.

Regulating Authority

Regie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (Régie)

this is a special department of the Quebec government that was created to control and oversee the operation of the companies in the field of alcohol, gambling, public lotteries, horse races and martial arts. All the licenses in the mentioned fields are issued only by Régie.

Société des lotteries du Québec (Loto-Québec)

this is a state corporation that represents the interests of the federal government in the field of gambling on the territory of Quebec. It controls all the casinos and gambling halls all around Quebec as well as possesses all the equipment and slot-machines in them. It also regulates and oversees the lotteries and bingo games, as well as controls gambling equipment inside the casinos.

Casinos in Quebec: List of the Offers Available for Players in the Province

• State casinos and gambling halls. There are four main provincial casinos in Quebec: Casino de Montréal, Casino de Charlevoix, Casino du Lac-Leamy, Casino de Mont Tremblant; and 2 spacious gambling centers: Salon de jeux de Québec and http://salonsdejeux.lotoquebec.com/en/trois-rivieres/home.
• Lotteries, bingo and Kinzo. Lists of the legal bingo and Kinzo halls controlled by the Loto-Québec can be found using our links. Furthermore, all religious and charity draws and lotteries can be performed only after getting a special license issued by Régie.
• Betting.
• Video Lottery Games (VLT’s). These machines can be easily found in casinos and gambling halls all around Quebec. All the owners of the equipment, as well as manufacturers, developers and service companies working with the VLTs have to possess a license issued by the Régie. At the same time, all VLTs can be owned only by the Loto-Québec. Here you can find a full list of games offered in the VLTs.
• Online Gambling. Quebec offers its own online casino called Espacejeux. It offers the wide range of games for all ages and tastes: for example, one can enjoy as classic casino games (such as the roulette and blackjack), slot machines, and 30 poker tables, as well as XP Games and even online bingo. One can even use the live mode to play with a real dealer from a local casino.

Requirements for the players. In order to access the local gambling website, you need to comply with the following requirements: you have to be at least 18 years old, you have to be a resident of Quebec and you have to be in Quebec during the game.

More Information about Online Gambling

But is this all? Is Espacejeux the only one option to enjoy the world of online gambling? Of course no. Quebec offers access to the wide range of online casinos with numerous games and astonishing slot-machines. One can find as well-known international operators, as well as new developments of unknown companies from all around the world.

At the same time, such international casinos offer a wide range of benefits and advantages:

• They offer a huge number of games and gambling types because they are not limited by the laws and the requirements of the province. For example, one can enjoy numerous multiplayer games offered on foreign websites.
• You can play with the real people from all around the world.
• Flexible offers for new players and attractive bonus systems.
• Huge prizes and enormous rewards.
• Free access from virtually any location in the world (you still need an internet connection). In order to get access to such casinos, you are not obliged to be the resident of Quebec or stay in the province.

Do I need a translator to play?

No, not at all. In many cases, the operators of the casinos offer full support in French and English languages on their websites.

How about the currency converter?

There are many websites, which accept Canadian Dollars as the mean of payment, so you don’t need to think about it at all.

Do such casinos have disadvantages and flaws?

They can’t be called real flaws, but it’s highly recommended to check the place of registration and the applicable legislation. Casinos are usually registered in different countries, thus they work and operate in accordance with the laws of such countries. They are not obliged to comply with the current legislation of Canada.

So, while using a foreign gambling website, you need to be ready to bear more risks. In fact, if you choose a well-known and reliable casino, you don’t have to worry about the license of the compliance with the Canadian laws. Furthermore, many jurisdictions offering the licenses for such casinos have stricter laws and requirements in the field of gaming that in Canada (for example, you can read the detailed report about the regulation of online gambling in the UK.

How to Choose a Reliable Casino?

In order to make it, you need to use our short and easy to understand manual. Furthermore, it’s highly recommended to read our article about online gambling all around the world in order to understand the most important moments during the process of a reliable casino choosing. By doing so, you will be able to avoid costly mistakes.

Our rating of online casinos. If you need some help in the process of casino choosing, you can easily use our detailed rating of the most reliable gambling portals and casinos offering the vast range of games and applications, while following the rules and offering the fair gaming atmosphere. It’s worth noting that Quebec authorities are trying to block access to the foreign websites on the legal level. As we mentioned before, on May 18, 2016, the National Assembly of Quebec applied the Bill 74 (or Budget Act) that blocked access to the online gambling websites, which were not registered in Canada irrespectively to the location of the operator of the website.

However, that bill was considered unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada. Currently, the authorities of Quebec have already appealed to the Appeal Court of Quebec. It’s worth noting that this case is still under review by the court. In other words, all foreign gambling websites and online casinos are not prohibited in Quebec. Furthermore, there are many other real practical examples, which confirm the legal status of the foreign online casinos and websites. In addition, the new law contains no information about the penalties for the participation in illegal gambling, thus, the users of the online casinos have nothing to worry about, while playing in Quebec.

Licenses

Canadian Operators

All the companies and individuals participating in the gambling process are obliged to get a license (section 34 of Lotteries Act): the owners of casinos and venues with VLTs, as well as manufacturers of hardware and software, and owners of the bingo halls; even the logistic companies delivering the equipment must have a license. At the same time, all the slot machines and other types of hardware can belong only to the Loto-Québec. Where to check the validity and the legal status of the operators and the casinos? One can find detailed information about the licenses of bingo halls and slot-machine (except VLTs) owners in the special public registers of Régie.

Please note the following: While in Quebec, you may participate in poker competitions carried out in the bars. Sometimes, such tournaments may be transformed into a league of poker, for example, Circuit Poker Quebec. All the tournaments are carried out as charity or social events. At the same time, they are not regulated by the laws in the field of gambling. The legal status of such tournaments is still questionable, but the authorities prefer to ignore this issue for now.

Foreign Online Casinos

All the casinos are obliged to have a license issued in one of the foreign jurisdictions or the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, which accepts the legal state of online gambling and offers its own set of rules and laws (more detailed information about gambling in Kahnawake can be found here. In the majority of cases, foreign casinos are registered in small European countries, such as Malta or the Isle of Men. One of the most reliable is the license issued by the United Kingdom.

Deposits and Payouts in Online Casinos

Online casinos in Quebec offer the very same transaction processing rules as all other venues in Canada.

Key Facts about the Province

• Capital: Quebec. The largest city is Montreal.
• The date of annexation to Canada: July 1, 1867 (from the moment of the Dominion of Canada creation).
• The population of the province: according to the official information, there were 8,164,361 people in Quebec in 2016 (this is the second biggest province after Ontario).
• French is considered the most popular language in Quebec, unlike many other provinces. More than 94% of local people speak French (the majority of them knows only French), while only 49% of the population can speak English (according to the official stats).
• The climate in the province: Quebec can be divided into four climatic zones: arctic, subarctic, continental and sea zone in the eastern part. The huge number of lakes and rivers affects the climate making it more humid.

The most interesting places to visit:

• 3 national parks: Forillon National Park, La Mauricie National Park, Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve. As well as 31 regional and local parks.
• Olympic Park in Montreal
• The Underground of Montreal
• More than 200 routes and hiking trails all around the province for the real fans of trekking and swimming (there are a special Whale Route and a huge number of routes along the St. Lawrence).
• The province offers a wide range of attractions and routes for the guests and the visitors. One can find more detailed information and plan their trip using the Quebec Original website.

Transportation: Quebec offers modern transportation, thus one can easily reach the different parts of the region with the highest level of comfort even without planning anything in advance.

• Airlines and airports. Two international airports Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, as well as dozens of airports for the domestic flights.
• Cars and buses. More than 185,000 km of highways, as well as the information about the traffic in real-time. International bus routes are offered by such companies as Orléans Express, Intercar, and Limocar.
• Railroads. The province has around 6,645 km of railroads. The most developed part is located in the south of the province.
• Ferries and ships. Thanks to the wide network of local ports, one can easily use ferries and cruise liners to discover the eastern coast of Canada.
• More information about the transportation and local attractions can be found at the Quebec Original.

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