It was recently revealed that Québec is losing billions each year to unregulated gambling sites, and there is significant pressure for regulatory change. However, the current administration seems pretty rigid in its desire to maintain the status quo. In fact, last year, a government spokesperson told the press that the government does not intend to follow Ontario’s footsteps or end Loto-Québec’s monopoly on legal gambling.
They argued that Ontario’s changes had led to the trivialization of gambling and that the massive uptake of mobile phones made deregulation undesirable. We sat down with Elsa Fiott from Casino.org to talk about igaming in Canada, how mobile tech, user trends, and regulatory compliance are affecting the market, and whether Montreal’s ‘ostrich approach’ has legs.
How does increased smartphone and device penetration affect uptake and trends in the online gambling market?
Elsa Fiott:
“Smartphones are ubiquitous – 98% of Canadians between the ages of 18-29 and 95% of those aged 30-49 own a smartphone. Canadians are also among the highest users of the internet in the world. Recent findings rank Canada’s internet use ahead of countries like the United States, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. The latest figures show an increase of 27 percentage points from the 68% of adult Canadians who reported using the internet in the Pew Research Center’s 2002 survey. In addition, Canadians are among some of the keenest gamblers in the world. I think you readers can probably see where this is going.
“Basically, one of Canadians’ favourite pastimes is mobile gaming and gambling. Apps have been developed to capitalize on this passion, meaning that the 60% of Canadians who enjoy a flutter can now do so on the go if they so choose. There are some online casinos, like LeoVegas, that have built their business on a mobile-first philosophy. This means that rather than adapting the online casino environment to fit the mobile technology, the framework for the online casino IS the mobile technology.”
“A huge and growing trend at the moment is live dealer gaming, where players get to play against a live dealer, alongside real people. The incredible thing is that due to the advances in technology, no additional kit is needed. People can play live dealer games on their smart devices and get the full immersive experience.”
Are the government-run sites keeping up with all the latest trends?
Elsa Fiott
“At Casino.org, we do not review the government sites; we are a commercial organization, and we keep an eye on what the commercial operators are doing. However, the fact that such a high percentage of Quebecers (73%) play at alternative sites would suggest that people’s needs are not being met through the current system. Loto-Québec’s Espace Jeux platform is popular for buying Loto tickets – 72% of its users use it exclusively for that, but when it comes to online casino games, 73% of Québec players choose privately-operated platforms to play online casino games and for sports betting.”
“What we do at Casino.org is let Canadian’s know which sites are best- we steer people towards those that are reputable and fun. Unfortunately, there are some pretty awful operators out there, but there are also some fantastic ones. We do extensive background checks to make sure the sites come up to the standard expected by the top licensing authorities in the world and only recommend sites that we believe genuinely have the player’s best interests at heart”.
“Gambling is part of the entertainment industry like music, movies and gaming. So we check out bonus offers and see how they work, we set up accounts and play as the punters do. We are really hot on safe gambling too. It’s a tough job playing the casino games, but somebody has to do it!”
What is happening with regulation across the country?
Elsa Fiott
“As I am sure your readers are aware, Ontario launched its commercial market in 2024, and it has been regarded as a phenomenal success both in financial terms but also for player safety. 80% of Ontarians now play on regulated sites. Not only do the sites have to adhere to very strict safe gambling guidelines, but they also pay healthy revenues towards the province’s public finances.”
“Alberta is in the process of following suit and will probably launch in Spring 2026. BC is also rumoured to be keeping a close eye on progress, with a view to changing provincial regulations as well. However, for now, Québec seems to be set against changes even after forfeiting nearly CAD$2 billion annually to unlicensed platforms.”
What is the Québec government’s position then?
Elsa Fiott
“Despite all the evidence, Québec still clings to a government-run monopoly and is one of the few provinces that is resolutely opposed to change. This stance really impacts potential tax revenues and also player safety. Industry experts have been putting quite a bit of heat on Québec to try and get it to change its rules. However, lobbying seems to be having the opposite effect”.
“Despite losing billions to unregulated gaming sites, the government remains resistant to changing the framework. The Québec Online Gaming Coalition, which represents private operators like FanDuel and DraftKings, argues that competition and enhanced player protection could be the benefits of a licensing model similar to Ontario’s.”
We thanked Elsa for her time and reflected on what she had told us. What we can see from the current situation is that both sides have strong opinions, and this is not something that is just going to go away. Fortunately, for Canadians who love to gamble (and let’s face it, millions do), there are plenty of great sites to choose from.