3 Jun

How to Play Casino Games in Quebec

How to Play Casino Games in Quebec

The last predominantly French-speaking province of Canada, Quebec is an amazing place to live. We produce 90% of the country’s beloved maple syrup (with Canada accounting for 70% of worldwide production). We love our historic home as much as we love being entertained, with everything from the annual Carnival to the thrilling experience of playing casino games.

 

How to Play Real Money Casino Games in Quebec

Gambling has a deep-rooted structure in most modern cultures. Quebec is no different. With our capital, Quebec City, over 400 years old, it’s no surprise the explorers who claimed this land were avid card players and dice tossers. To this day, casino gaming is a treasured pastime; the only difference being the number of ways to enjoy it.
  • The Traditional Way: For centuries, gambling has taken place in bricks-and-mortar casinos. However, Quebec has a limited number of them, with only 4 in operation today…
  • The Digital Way: Modern technologies have resulted in an explosion of digital gambling services. For many, choosing between domestic and international iGaming is a struggle…
  • Quebec’s Espacejeux: Online gambling is a regulated activity in Quebec via Espacejeux.com. The government will celebrate the site’s 10th anniversary later this year…
  • International iGaming: While Quebec is limited to just one gambling website, the international market is teeming with thousands of online casinos, poker rooms…
DisclaimerNot all forms of gambling are legal in all provinces of Canada. The legal age to gamble also varies by province. Breaking the law is a serious matter. The information provided on this website is meant for educational purposes only, and we will not be held liable for any irresponsible / illegal activity on your part. Know the gambling laws in your province and follow them. The following pages provide more information on Canadian gambling laws:

The Land-Based Casinos of Quebec

Unlike their fellow industrious provinces of British Columbia and Ontario, Quebec is not big on commercial casino gaming. B.C. is home to 38 gambling properties. Ontario isn’t far behind with 28 and counting. Quebec plays host to just four casinos and two slots parlours. There are two poker rooms, as well, located on the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.

These gaming destinations are a fine option for anyone seeking a genuine, in-your-face casino experience. But unless you live near a major city like Montreal, Ottawa or Quebec City, expect to do some extensive traveling to get there. That being said, let’s take a closer look at the properties available.

Casinos in Quebec Location Owner/Operator
Casino de Charlevoix La Malbaie, QB LotoQuebec
Casino de Lac Leamy Gatineau, QB LotoQuebec
Casino de Mont-Tremblant Mont-Tremblant, QB LotoQuebec
Casino de Montreal Montreal, QB LotoQuebec
Slots Parlours in Quebec Location Owner/Operator
Salon de jeux de Québec Quebec City, QB LotoQuebec
Salon de jeux de Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières, QB LotoQuebec
Poker Rooms in Quebec Location Owner/Operator
Magic Palace Montreal Kahnawake, QB First Nations
Playground Poker Kahnawake, QB First Nations

How to Play Online Casino Games in Quebec

The digital gambling landscape is vast. There are thousands of online casinos in operation, with servers based all over the world. Much like its land-based representation, the ratio of Quebec-based online casinos to ‘rest of the world’ is vastly disproportionate. There is just one iGaming site, regulated and oeprated by the provincial government. Then again, the majority of Canadian provinces don’t offer a locally regulated online casino, so we must be thankful for what we’re given.

This does not mean that Quebecois are limited to iGaming with this single website. We are equally—and legally—capable of enjoying online casino games hosted by offshore operators. There are two notable differences between them. In Quebec’s corner is the promise of integral reputability and player protections. Swinging for international operators is the virtually limitless freedom of choice, in both game variety and stakes.

In the next two sections, we’ll take a closer look at Quebec’s provincially run Espacejeux.com, and the internationally regulated provisions of offshore online casinos.

Espacejeux.com – Online Casino Quebec

In November 2010, LotoQuebec launched Espacejeux.com, the provincial online gambling destination of Quebec. The goal was to provide Quebecois with a reliable, sustainable, and locally regulated gambling portal where they can enjoy the assurance of a safe, secure iGaming experience. From a player’s perspective, the most beneficial feature is having a local governing body to turn to in case of any discrepancies.

The site’s offerings have grown a lot over the last decade. Members now have access to a modest collection of slots and table games, as well as an online poker room, bingo room, sports lottery, numbers lottery and digital instant win games. With limited software, the game variety is decent, but nothing compared to what some other iGaming portals offer.

The entire website was built in HTML5 for universal browser compatibility, and a dedicated mobile app is provided for lotteries and sports betting. Espacejeux is only accessible to players who reside in, and are currently, physically located in, the province of Quebec. You must be 18 years or older to play.

Offshore Online Casinos – Gaming without Boundaries

The international iGaming industry opens the door to a wide world of opportunities for players in Canada and other jurisdictions where online gambling is not prohibited. The competitive nature of online casinos is such that players will find much greater game variety, promotional campaigns and—thanks to relaxed regulations in the market—sports betting on single events; something Canada’s restricted parlay betting laws cannot provide.

For the record, there is nothing illegal about gambling with offshore casinos. That fact was highlighted when Quebec made every effort to IP-block international websites. They passed a bill in 2016 giving them the right to enforce an IP-block against these so-called illegal websites. Federal telecommunications agencies came up against them, deeming it unconstitutional. It was a big, two year fiasco that ended in Quebec’s forced quiescence to outside competition.

Being offshore, however, players must ensure that they’re dealing with a strictly regulated operation; one with years of evident customer satisfaction behind them. A good reputation goes a very long way in this business.

Online casinos regulated in the UK, Gibraltar and Malta, for example, carry the distinguishment of their licenses, whereas operators licensed in places like Costa Rica can do whatever they please, with no fear of recompense from any authority. You can guess which regulator will go to bat for you should any problems arise.

The greatest perk for Canadians playing at internationally regulated online casinos is the ability to choose. We don’t have that in Quebec—it’s one or none. You can choose the software you play on, the game variety you enjoy most, the promotions you want to claim, with terms you can understand. The key is knowing how to find good operators you know you can trust. With that, I’m going to refer you to a few useful texts on the subject. Should you choose to go the offshore casino route, these links will teach you all you need to know about choosing a reputable operator.

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