Gambling in Quebec

Quebec - age limit from 18 years old.

Earlier than other provinces, gambling laws were passed in the states of Quebec.

Quebec - The relevant laws were passed in 1978. These are two acts: Act respecting the Société des loteries du Québec and Act respecting lotteries, publicity contests, and amusement machines;

History of the gambling in Quebec

In December 1992, the Quebec Cabinet approved and authorized the construction of two state-owned casinos: one on Notre Dame Island in Montreal and the other at Pointe aux Pic in the Charlevoix region.

The Casino de Montreal opened on 9 October 1993 and is located in the former French Pavilion (Pavillon de la France) at the 1967 World Exposition. In 1994, the Casino de Charlevoix opened its doors in what was once the summer theater Manoir Richelieu, located in Pointe aux Pique. The Casino du Lac-Leamy was the first Quebec casino to be built from the ground up. It was opened on March 24, 1996. The Casino de Mont Tremblant was opened on June 24, 2009.

How to choose the right casino in Quebec?

• Offer 1 – If you know which city you like to visit, you can see if there is a casino nearby. Also, some cities have a direct transfer to the casino.  

• Offer 2 – Choose a hotel that offers the casino tour. Sometimes the casino is on the territory of the hotel.

• Offer 3 – If you like only the certain casino game, you need to do the research beforehand.

 Casino Games in Quebec

According to the above statistics, Quebec is in first place - 10,448 different gambling points, from bingo to poker rooms. The population of the state is about 6 million people, which means that there is one institution for every 634 inhabitants.

There are several online and offline lotteries, poker rooms, casinos and horse races;

Table Games

You can enjoy the different blackjack, poker, and baccarat games. Some casinos are small and offer only 10 card tables.

In Casino de Charlevoix, for example, there is a possibility to get a $10 free voucher for trying out the table games.

Lotteries

On the site of the casinos, you can get the lottery tickets. Some of them offer the instant win. For some lotteries, there is a draw once a day, once a week, or once a month. All lotteries have to be fully licensed by the authorities.

Most of Loto-Québec's revenue comes from lottery games such as Lotto Max and 6/49. games consist of buying a ticket with a set of numbers that can be selected manually or randomly. These games usually consist of tickets that cost between $ 3 and $ 5 per game.

Horse Races

Trois-Rivières is one of the most famous horse racetracks. Here you can bet on different horse races throughout the summertime.

Slots

Slot machines are not that popular in Quebec. Actually, in many casinos they are simply missing or are present in underwhelming amount. People are made aware that the land-based slot machines do not pay out even close to the online slots.

Kinzo

On October 19, 2010, the Société des bingos du Québec (SBQ) opened the Kinzo room at 8780 Boulevard Saint Laurent in Montreal. Kinzo is a unique bingo-like gaming concept in which multimedia sound and light shows on wall screens and illuminated ceiling lights add excitement. SBQ launched the Kinzo pilot after numbers showed that bingo was losing popularity in Quebec as a way to improve the finances of non-profits that rely on bingo as a source of funding. In addition, SBQ has set up a regional investment fund to develop the bingo industry.

Responsible Gambling in Quebec

The mission of Quebec is to create a safe gambling environment. They issues a special organisation for responsible gambling issues called  AGAMESHOULDREMAINAGAME.com (https://lejeudoitresterunjeu.lotoquebec.com/en/home). This organisation studies the psychological issues of compulsive gaming addiction, offers professional help to people who suffer from gambling addiction.

You can contact the organisation under aidejeu.ca or call 1‑800‑461‑0140. This bilingual service is strictly confidential, free and anonymous, and is available 24/7.

So, what tools do you have to limit yourself?

First, there is a deposit, time and loss limits available. You can set those limits right on the website of the licensor.

You can also choose the time limits that you prefer on the website of Loto Quebec.

The last step is the self-exclusion tool. You can call or text under: 1-866-611-LOTO (5686) or email at onlinegames@lotoquebec.com.

Complaint

You can file a complaint against any land-based casino in Quebec under https://portail.lotoquebec.com/.

Also, there is a possibility to contact the licensor under 1-866-611-LOTO (5686). 

What to do in Quebec?

There are plenty of interesting sights besides the casinos that you can look forward to when visiting Quebec:

Castle Hotel Chateau Frontenac

• Castle Hotel Chateau Frontenac. The Quebec hotel Château Frontenac, located on Cape Diamant, has become world famous for its unusual architecture. From a distance, it seems as if this is a real medieval castle with bastions, towers and powerful walls. The building was built at the end of the 19th century on the site of the former residence of the governors from the metropolis.

• Old Quebec. Historic center of Quebec, which is a UNESCO protected monument. The first buildings of Old Quebec date from the beginning of the 17th century, but most of the buildings appeared in the 19th century.

• Royal square. The square is a picturesque piece of Europe, as if transported to the North American continent. It is covered with hundred-year-old cobblestones, narrow stone streets diverge in all directions from it, restaurants are open for tourists on the first floors of old mansions.

• Old port of Quebec.The harbor is the second largest after the port of Montreal. In the 19th century, it played an important role in commercial shipping in Canada, hundreds of ships passed through the port every day.       

Interesting Facts about Quebec

• Quebec is unique in that it is the only major French-speaking territory in North America.

• Quebec has already tried several times to become an independent state.

• In 1993, the largest casino in Canada opened in Montreal.

• The entire area of the old part of Quebec is a subject of historical and cultural heritage, which is under the protection of UNESCO.