TLDR A Montreal study of 8,500 adults found 54% of online gamblers use unregulated sites. Online gambling rose to 13.3% of adults in 2025, up from 4.4% in 2018. Overall gambling participation fell from 54.5% to 39% over the same period. Young men aged 18 to 34 showed problem gambling rates of 7.4%, versus 4.6% overall. A Quebec industry coalition wants clear iGaming rules before the fall economic update.
More than half of Montreal adults who gamble online are using websites outside Quebec’s regulated system, according to a new study. The findings have led an industry group to press the provincial government for answers on its plans for the market.
The study was released on Nov. 5 by the Montreal Regional Public Health Department (DRSPM) and Concordia University. It surveyed 8,500 adults in the city. The research tracked changes in gambling habits between 2018 and 2025.
Among online gamblers, 38% said they used only unregulated websites. Another 16% used both unregulated platforms and Loto-Québec, the government-owned company that runs the province’s only regulated online platform.
This means a majority of online gamblers in the city place at least some bets with operators not regulated by the province. Loto-Québec remains the only regulated option for Quebec players.
B.C. regulators say the status quo is unsustainable. With Alberta and Ontario open to private iGaming operators and Quebec next, will British Columbia follow? The patchwork is getting harder to defend. #iGaming #Canada #BCLC https://t.co/hsf23f4Jxc
— Casinos.com (@casinosc0m) November 9, 2026
Online Play Grows While Overall Gambling Falls
The study shows a split in how Montreal residents gamble. Overall gambling participation dropped from 54.5% in 2018 to 39% in 2025.
Online gambling moved in the other direction. The share of adults who gambled online rose to 13.3% in