Is online gambling legal in Quebec?

Key takeaways

• One legal site. Loto-Québec says its gaming website, lotoquebec.com, “is the only legal gaming website in Québec.” Quebec has not opened a market for private operators the way Ontario and Alberta have.
• 18, not 19. Quebec is one of three provinces, with Alberta and Manitoba, where the minimum age is 18. It applies to lotoquebec.com and to Casino de Montréal.
• You have to be in Quebec. Only Quebec residents can open an account, and the site runs a location check before you sign in.

Why only Loto-Québec can run it

The federal Criminal Code makes gambling lawful only in the cases section 207 lists. The one that covers online casino games is a provincial government conducting and managing the games itself (Criminal Code, s. 207). Charities and fairs can hold provincial licences for some games, but not for games “operated on or through a computer”.

Quebec does this through Loto-Québec, a government corporation. Loto-Québec says it was “introduced in 1969 to regulate gambling and keep it out of the hands of illegal gambling operators and organized crime,” and that “100% of profits go back to Québec” (Loto-Québec). It runs the lotteries, the casinos and gaming halls, and the online site.

What you can play on lotoquebec.com

Loto-Québec lists these online products (Loto-Québec, Online gaming):

Category	What it includes
Casino	Slots, table games, live casino, virtual sports games, keno
Lottery	Draw games (including group play and subscriptions), scratch and other instant games
Betting	Event betting on sports, politics and pop culture, live betting, sports pools
Poker	Tournaments, including major events, and beginner games
Bingo	Online bingo and virtual bingo rooms, with chat

Sports betting. Betting on a single game has been legal in Canada since August 27, 2021, when Bill C-218 came into force (LEGISinfo). In Quebec it is offered by Loto-Québec, online as Mise-o-jeu+ and in stores as Mise-o-jeu. Our sports betting explainer compares the provinces.

Who can open an account

Loto-Québec’s online conditions of use set four conditions (conditions of use, s. 4.1). You must be:

1. 18 or older,
2. a resident of Quebec,
3. not self-excluded from lotoquebec.com or from Loto-Québec’s casinos and gaming halls, and
4. not banned from its casinos and gaming halls.

You also have to be in the province. The site says you “must be in your home province to sign into this website,” and it uses a location check to confirm it. You can hold only one account, and you give your full name, date of birth, address and identity documents when you open it.

Money rules worth knowing:

• A weekly deposit limit applies to everyone. You can’t deposit more in a week (Sunday to Saturday) than the limit you set. It can be anywhere from $25 to $9,999. Lowering it takes effect at once; raising it takes 24 hours.
• Card restrictions. Unless stated otherwise, you can’t deposit with a prepaid card, a corporate credit card or an American credit card.
• Big withdrawals are in person. A withdrawal of $100,000 or more has to be made by appointment at a designated Loto-Québec office.
• Dormant accounts. Loto-Québec may close an account after 36 months without a login and refund the balance.

Who regulates gambling in Quebec

There is no separate licensing body for online operators, because Loto-Québec is the only one. Two public bodies are involved:

Body	Role
Loto-Québec (Société des loteries du Québec)	Government corporation that conducts and manages lotteries, the state casinos and gaming halls, video lottery and lotoquebec.com.
Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ)	Quebec’s liquor, racing and gaming regulator. It issues licences for bingo, raffles and similar draws, video lottery and amusement machines and horse racing (RACJ). For the state casinos, it checks that hiring and supplier contracts follow the rules and approves the labs that certify gaming equipment (RACJ, state casinos).

What about Kahnawà:ke and offshore sites?

The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) is based in the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke, “just outside Montréal”. It has licensed online and land-based gaming from the territory since 1996 and says that jurisdiction “is an inherent Indigenous right and does not rely on the approval of any other jurisdiction” (KGC). Many sites that take Canadian players cite a KGC licence.

That licence doesn’t make a site part of Quebec’s system: under s. 207, the province’s authorized online option is Loto-Québec’s. The only court ruling on the wider question so far came from Ontario, where the Superior Court of Justice dismissed the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke’s challenge to iGaming Ontario’s model on May 13, 2024 (iGaming Ontario).

Can a player be charged? The Criminal Code has a player-side offence: section 207(3)(b) makes taking part in a lottery scheme that no province authorizes punishable on summary conviction, while running one can mean up to two years in prison (s. 207). In practice the bigger risk is that Loto-Québec’s limits, self-exclusion and complaint process don’t exist on those sites. Our offshore sites explainer goes further.

Self-exclusion in Quebec

Loto-Québec calls its program “confidentielle, gratuite et irrévocable” (confidential, free and irrevocable) (Bien jouer).

• Online: 3 months to 5 years. Sign up in the “Encadrer mon jeu” section of your lotoquebec.com account, or call the client centre at 1-866-611-5686 for help. Your account is deactivated and your balance refunded, and the exclusion can’t be lifted or interrupted once it starts.
• Casinos and gaming halls: also 3 months to 5 years, in person. A venue exclusion automatically blocks your lotoquebec.com account for the same period (conditions of use, s. 11.2; Bien jouer).
• After it ends: Loto-Québec sends no communications during the exclusion or for a year afterwards. You have to unsubscribe from the Loteries newsletter yourself.
• A call from a counsellor. When you sign up, you’re offered a confidential call from Jeu : aide et référence within two weeks. You can also ask for it later.

Where to get help in Quebec

• Jeu : aide et référence (Gambling: Help and Referral): 1-800-461-0140, or 514-527-0140 in the Montréal area. It says: “We can help you. 24/7. Free and confidential.” It also has a chat service on aidejeu.ca.
• lotoquebec.com client centre: 1-866-611-5686, for help with self-exclusion.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you’re thinking about suicide, call 988.

Do you pay tax on winnings in Quebec?

Usually not. The Canada Revenue Agency says you don’t report lottery winnings of any amount unless the prize is income from employment, a business or property, or a prize for achievement; interest your winnings earn afterwards is taxable (CRA). Our taxes guide covers when gambling counts as a business and the 2026 Quebec rates that would then apply.

Practical next steps

1. Use lotoquebec.com only while you’re in Quebec. It won’t let you sign in from another province.
2. Pick a weekly deposit limit you can live with. Lowering it is immediate; raising it waits 24 hours.
3. Need to stop? Use “Encadrer mon jeu” in your account, or call 1-866-611-5686. A casino exclusion also covers the website.
4. Worried about yourself or someone close to you? Call Jeu : aide et référence at 1-800-461-0140, any time.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in Quebec?

Yes, on lotoquebec.com, which Loto-Québec calls the only legal gaming website in Québec. No private online casino or sportsbook is authorized in the province.

What is the legal gambling age in Quebec?

You must be 18 or older. lotoquebec.com only accepts Quebec residents aged 18 and over, and Casino de Montréal admits guests who are 18 or older.

Can I use lotoquebec.com outside Quebec?

No. You have to be a Quebec resident, and the site checks that you are physically in the province before you sign in.

Is sports betting legal in Quebec?

Yes, through Loto-Québec: Mise-o-jeu+ online and Mise-o-jeu in stores. Single-game betting has been legal in Canada since August 27, 2021.

Are Kahnawake-licensed casinos legal in Quebec?

The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission, just outside Montréal, says its licensing authority is an inherent Indigenous right. The province’s authorized online option under the Criminal Code is Loto-Québec’s site, so a Kahnawà:ke licence doesn’t give you Loto-Québec’s limits, self-exclusion or complaint process.

How do I self-exclude from online gambling in Quebec?

In your lotoquebec.com account, go to “Encadrer mon jeu”, or call 1-866-611-5686. You choose 3 months to 5 years, and it can’t be cancelled early.

This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice. Last reviewed September 30, 2026, against the official sources listed below.