A group of online sports betting sites and an investment firm are teaming up in hopes of bringing more legal sports betting options and regulations to the Quebec sports betting market.
The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition announced Tuesday that it formed in order to work with the Quebec government and local stakeholders to develop a new regulatory framework for the online gaming industry.
Online operators Betway, Bet99, Draftkings, Flutter, Entertain, Games Global, and Rush Street Interactive joined and partnered with Apricot Investments to address “growing concerns” in several areas.
The QOCC listed consumer safety, responsible gaming, and advertising as some of those areas. The coalition also believes it can substantially increase government revenues based on a new licensing regime for qualified private operators.
Quebec’s legal sports betting is only run through Loto-Québec's Mise-o-jeu online sportsbook.
The coalition refers to a recent survey by Leger Marketing as its reasons for forming. The survey reported that:
- Two-thirds (66%) of respondents are in favor of regulating private online gaming operators by establishing a licensing and tax system.
- 71% of Quebecers believe that the Québec government cannot block private online gaming operators.
- Three out of four Quebecers (75%) agree that the tax revenues generated by a regulatory framework for private online gaming sites should help fund social responsibility programs such as addiction prevention.
- 64% agree that these additional revenues should help fund various government priorities.
The QOCC would like to see Quebec form an independent regulatory body that would battle underage gambling and study gaming behaviors to help create responsible gambling.
Adding regulated operators like DraftKings or Betway might take some convincing by the QOCC to have the province’s government change the structure.
Could Quebec be more like Ontario?
All 10 Canadian provinces allow single-game sports betting, but many of them are limited in operators.
Quebec didn’t begin allowing single-game sports betting until Canada legalized it in Aug. 2021.
However, only the lottery could run sports betting in Quebec as no outside, private-operator licenses have been allowed since then.
This coalition stated that it would like Quebec’s online gaming model to resemble Ontario, which went live with online gaming in April 2022 and has handed out more than 40 licenses to operators since then.
With over 70 gaming sites available, Ontario reportedly generated a handle of $1.4 billion in revenue on a handle of $35.6 billion in 2022.
The QOCC sees similar revenue streams for Quebec and wants to see these “new funds should be reinvested these funds in key sectors of the Québec economy”.
