TLDR The Parti Québécois won Quebec’s Oct. 5 election with 59 seats, five short of a majority. The PQ campaigned on opening online gambling to private operators, similar to Ontario’s model. The Liberals, now the official opposition with 40 seats, backed the same idea. A study puts Quebec’s 2026 iGaming market at CAD $3.09 billion, with 73% of play unregulated. Industry groups say an independent regulator is needed first, which will take time.
Quebec has moved closer to opening its online gambling market to private companies. The Parti Québécois (PQ) won the provincial election on Oct. 5 on a platform that includes regulating private iGaming.
The party ended election night with 59 seats. That is five short of a majority, so the PQ will form a minority government.
The Quebec Liberal Party won 40 seats and will serve as the official opposition. The Liberals also promised during the campaign to create a private iGaming model.
Right now, Loto-Québec is the only legal place for people in Quebec to gamble online. Loto-Québec is a Crown corporation owned by the province.
Two Parties Back the Same Plan
During the campaign, the Liberals released a plan to expand the role of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ). The RACJ is the provincial regulator for alcohol, horse racing and gaming.
Under the Liberal plan, the RACJ would license and oversee all online gambling sites. It would also enforce rules on advertising, addiction prevention and consumer protection.
The PQ told Radio-Canada it would take a similar approach. Troy Ross, president of TRM Public Affairs, said the two parties together hold more than enough seats to pass a law.
Ariane Gauthier speaks for the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC). The group lobbies for operators including DraftKings, Flutter, Entain, Betway,