Québec Gambling

Québec is home to the biggest, most luxurious casinos in Canada. The Casino Montreal and Casino du Lac-Leamy offer thousands of slots, table games and poker. There is an online gambling portal in Québec. Espacejeux opened in 2010, offering online casino and lottery games, sports betting and online poker.

All gambling activity in Québec comes under the jurisdiction of Loto-Québec. Subsidiaries operate the casinos and oversee other types of gambling. Gambling halls run alongside the big casinos — offering slots and electronic table games.

This guide has you covered for all the legal types of gambling in Québec. You can see a summary of the gambling options below. This is followed by a detailed overview of the casinos, poker rooms, horse racing and sports betting options.

Is online gambling legal in Québec?

You can play at the Espacejeux online gambling portal in Québec. This was set up in 2010 and offers a full range of casino games, poker, sports betting and lottery games.

Types of legal gambling in Québec

• Casinos and gambling halls: There are a mix of commercial casinos and gambling halls in Québec. Gambling halls offer slot machines plus electronic table games. Video lottery terminals are available under license in bars offering slot-style “line games,” video poker and keno.
• Poker rooms: Huge poker rooms can be found in the live casinos operated by Loto-Québec. There are also poker rooms operated by the Mohawks of Kahnawake First Nation. Poker home games are permitted in Québec, as long as the host is not making a profit via rake or tournament entry fees.
• Horse race betting: Horse racing returned to Québec recently after a multiyear break. Harness racing is available at the Hippodrome 3R racetrack. This venue also has simulcast betting facilities.
• Sports betting: Under the Canadian Criminal Code, sports betting is limited to wagers involving two or more games. This is available via the Mise-o-jeu platform. You can bet on major Canadian and international sports. Single-game wagers can include win bets, totals and props.
• Lottery: Québec started a lottery early, with the first draw taking place in 1970. Today there are draws every night, with scratch cards and other games providing additional chances to win jackpot prizes. The biggest prize awarded was $70 million. This was won by a worker from a grocery store in Montreal in 2020.
• Bingo/charitable gambling: You will find bingo halls throughout the province. These are licensed under charitable gambling laws — along with raffles and other fundraising games. Bingo halls can be run independently, though they must share profits with nonprofit organizations.
• Online gambling: Loto-Québec has a gambling portal called Espacejeux. This has casino games, online lottery tickets, player vs. player poker and sports betting options.

Casinos in Québec

Live casinos in Québec are operated by the Societe des casinos du Québec — a subsidiary of the crown corporation Loto-Québec. To say these are large casinos would be an understatement. Québec not only has the biggest casinos in Canada, these venues compete with the best casino resorts anywhere in the world.

Here are the major Québec live casinos in size order:

Casino Montreal

• Address: 1 Avenue du Casino, Montreal, Québec
• Hours: Open 24/7

The largest casino in Canada, Casino Montreal covers three buildings, up to six floors and has more than 48,000 square meters for gambling. You will find more than 3,000 slots, 115 table games, “The Zone” electronic table gambling with special effects, electronic poker and multiple restaurants/bars at this venue. This casino uses buildings originally designed for the 1967 Montreal Expo.

Casino du Lac-Leamy

• Address: 1 Boulevard du Casino, Gatineau, Québec
• Hours: Open 24/7

This casino is located opposite Ottawa, attracting visitors from Ontario as well as locals. It is a large casino with 1,800+ slots and electronic games and 60 gambling tables. There is a Hilton hotel attached to this casino, along with multiple bars, restaurants and entertainment options. The casino has a separate 16-table poker room.

Casino de Charlevoix

• Address: 183 rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, Québec
• Hours: 10 a.m. to midnight, 9 a.m. opening on weekends

Based in the popular tourist area of Pointe-au-Pic, this casino opened in 1994. It is a mid-sized venue. You will find more than 725 slots, video poker terminals and electronic gambling options. There are 18 table games available and a separate poker room with five tables. This casino has two bars and a restaurant that offer casual dining menus.

Casino de Mont-Tremblant

• Address: 300 chemin des Pleiades, Mont Tremblant, Québec
• Hours: Thursday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.

The stone architecture of the Mont Tremblant makes for a picturesque setting for this casino. Games are spread over three floors. They include 500 slots, 16 table games and a three-table poker room. There is a single bar, which offers music and entertainment, plus a restaurant.

Québec gaming halls

Smaller “gambling halls” have slots and electronic games. They are operated by a different subsidiary of Loto-Québec, the Societe des establishments de jeux du Québec. There are no table games at these casinos. Instead blackjack, roulette and casino poker variants can be played on electronic gambling consoles.

• Salon de Jeux Québec: This gambling hall is located in Québec City. There are 330+ machines covering slots, VLTs, keno and electronic table games. You will find a bar at this venue, offering live entertainment each Friday.
• Salon de Jeux Trois-Rivieres: Located in the city of Trois Rivieres, this gambling hall has 200 devices. Most of them are slots, with VLTs and limited electronic versions of table games. This venue is close to the Hippodrome harness racing track. It has a single bar, which provides live music each Friday.

Québec poker rooms

There are seven poker rooms in Québec. Five of them are at the big casinos operated by the provincial government. You will also find poker rooms on First Nation lands — notably the Kahnawake nation close to Montreal).

Here are the poker rooms:

• Playground Poker Club: Located in Kahnawake, close to Montreal, this giant poker room has 75 tables. It also has electronic gambling devices providing casino games and slots.
• Poker Palace: This venue is also located on Kahnawake territory. There are 32 tables providing poker cash games and tournament action around the clock.
• Casino Montreal: With 18 tables and round-the-clock action, this is the biggest room at a government-run casino. It is located within the iconic buildings of the Montreal Casino.
• El Jumelgi Poker Room: There are 18 tables at this poker room, which is located in Montreal.
• Casino du Lac-Leamy: There are 16 tables at this Gatineau-based casino’s poker room. It is open 24 hours Friday through Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. Monday to Thursday.
• Casino de Charlevoux: This small poker room is located in La Malbaie; it has five tables and operates from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday to Thursday, with 3 a.m. closes on weekends.
• Casino de Mont Tremblant: This casino has a small poker room, with just three tables. It is open on Fridays and Saturdays only, from 7 p.m.

Québec lottery

Loto-Québec is the government body that oversees gambling in this province. It was formed when lotteries were first made legal in 1969 — with the first draw taking place in 1970. Today, there is a thriving lottery, which includes national draws, province-wide draws, scratch cards, instant games and keno options.

Here are the current draws with giant jackpots:

• Lotto Max: This is a Canada-wide draw that takes place twice each week. The jackpot starts at $10 million, going up to $70 million. Tickets cost $5, with the draw taking place every Tuesday and Friday.
• Lotto 6/49: Named after the number of selections from 49 possible numbers, this national draw also has an impressive jackpot. It starts at $5 million, rolling over until it is won. Draws take place on Wednesday and Saturday.
• Lotto Poker Plus: The smaller progressive for this game is certainly worth winning. Draws costs $2 (with an extra $1 for the “plus” section) and take place every evening. The grand prize is $100,000.

The Québec lottery includes hybrid games that combine elements of scratch cards and televised draws. A recent example is “la poule aux oeufa d’or.” You buy a $2 ticket, then watch the live shot for prizes of up to $150,000.

There are scratch cards and novelty games available via retail outlets. You can also buy tickets and enjoy online cards and novelty games via the Espacejeux website.

Sports betting in Québec

Betting on sports is through the Mise-o-jeu platform, which is administered by Loto-Québec, it allows betting on single-game wagers after the federal government allowed it last August.

Win bets are possible, as are spread bets, totals and player props bets. You can also take part in picks-type contests, which are paid based on how your selections compare to others who took part.

The list of sports you can bet on is restricted. Wagers are allowed on soccer, hockey, football, baseball, basketball, tennis, MMA/boxing, golf and auto racing.

Horse racing in Québec

Horse racing took a break in Québec in recent years — with no live races taking place until the recent reopening of the provinces-only racetrack. There is now a single racetrack, which offers harness racing during the May to November season. This is at the Hippodrome 3R (Three Rivers) which is based in Trois-Rivieres.

There are now limited off-track betting offices, where you can bet remotely on races from Canada, the US and around the world.

Bingo halls and charitable gambling in Québec

Charitable gambling requires a license from Loto-Québec. The types of gambling that are licensed to registered charities include bingo games, raffles, kinzo and breakout cards.

Bingo halls have been established around Québec to raise funds for charities and religious organizations. They run a mix of games, some of which are linked between the halls, providing opportunities for larger jackpots.

Wrapping up: Gambling in Québec

Québec is home to some of the world’s most luxurious casinos. It enjoys horse racing, sports betting and poker games. The opportunities to gamble include an online portal; Espacejeux offers casino games, slots, poker and lottery games.