Quebec election puts an end to the Loto-Québec online monopoly on the agenda
After Quebec's 5 October election, trade press reports that the winning Parti Québécois and the Liberals both favour moving online gambling beyond Loto-Québec's exclusive right. No bill has been introduced, and who would regulate operators is unsettled.
Quebec's debate is about how to draw players away from unlicensed sites by offering a regulated alternative. South Africa faces a version of the same question: players use offshore casinos because there is no licensed online casino route at home. It is a useful comparison for readers, and a reminder that a regulated market takes years of rules, a regulator and consumer protection to build. Nothing here changes South African law.
What was reported
CasinoBeats reported on 8 October 2026 that the Parti Québécois won 59 seats in Quebec's election on 5 October, five short of a majority, with the Liberals on 40 seats. Both parties are described as open to ending Loto-Québec's exclusive right to offer internet gaming, which would move the province towards a model closer to Ontario's.
We could not reach an official election or government source this session, so the seat counts and party positions below are as reported by CasinoBeats, and should be read that way.
The proposals on the table
According to the report, the Liberal campaign proposed that the provincial regulator, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, gain wider authority to license platforms, enforce consumer protections, address addiction risks and regulate advertising. The PQ leader said on 6 October that his party intended to follow a similar model, though that does not mean every detail will be adopted.
- No legislation has been introduced.
- A separate body may be needed to run the market, as in Ontario and Alberta.
- The future role of Loto-Québec is unresolved.
Why offshore play is central
The report quotes a private-sector study estimating that about 73% of Quebec's online gambling activity takes place in an unregulated environment, and an industry coalition survey in which most online players said they used private platforms. Loto-Québec disputes that picture, saying 81% of online gamblers use its own platform. Those figures come from interested parties and measure different things, so they are not directly comparable.
The core argument is that a licensed market would bring players back under rules on identity checks, deposit limits and complaints handling. Whether that works depends on how attractive and well enforced the regulated option is.
What it means for South African players
The lesson for South African readers is practical. Where a regulated route exists, check that an operator is licensed there. Where it does not, as with online casino games in South Africa today, players are relying on foreign licences, and the protections depend on that regulator. We keep that distinction on every review page. If you gamble online, set limits you can afford and treat it as entertainment with a real risk of loss.
Watch for a government statement on timing, a draft bill and any decision on the regulator's role.