New survey calls into question Loto-Québec's assessment of the online gaming market in Québec

A recent survey of more than 1000 Quebecers who play online conducted by Mainstreet Research found that only 26.6% of players use Loto-Québec's Espace Jeux to play online casino games and for sports betting.

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 1, 2023 /CNW/ - The Québec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC), an industry-led organization that brings together leading online gaming operators, announced today that a survey, conducted by Mainstreet Research to determine Quebecers' habits when playing online, found that nearly 3 out of 4 Québec players (73%) choose privately-operated platforms to play online casino games and for sports betting. This recent survey was conducted to determine Quebecers' online gaming habits.

A closer look at the survey results, from 1010 Quebecers who admitted to playing online, reveals that:

• 72% of Québec players who use Loto-Québec's Espace Jeux platform do so exclusively to buy lottery tickets;
• When excluding Québec players who use Loto-Québec's Espace Jeux to only buy lottery tickets, the survey found that only 26.6% of players visit the site to play online casino games and for sports betting.
• Therefore, nearly 3 out of 4 Québec players (73%) choose privately-operated platforms to play online casino games and for sports betting.

''These results show that Loto-Québec's monopoly only exists on paper, and the Crown Corporation's recent assessment of its market share does not reflect reality,' said Nathalie Bergeron, the Coalition's spokesperson. ''The Québec government must consider the habits and preferences of Quebecers who play online games and establish a proper regulatory regime to protect the majority of Quebecers who play on privately operated platforms for online casino games and sports betting and not on the Crown Corporation's platform.''

Strong support for new regulation and independent body in Québec

Mainstreet Research's survey also found that over two-thirds of Québec players (67%) are in favor of regulating private online gaming operators by establishing a licensing and tax regime. These results are similar to data from the general population reported by the Coalition last May and show a consistent appetite across the province for a new regulatory framework for online gaming in Québec.

Moreover, 56% of Québec players agree that the creation of an independent regulatory body to oversee the entire gaming offer in Québec, including Loto-Québec, would provide greater oversight amid growing concerns about consumer safety and responsible gaming.

The creation of an independent regulatory body is standard in most jurisdictions across Canada and the world, and  was endorsed by Montreal Public Health in a recent report to support the recommendation against Loto-Québec's gaming lounge project at the Bell Centre. It was also recommended by the 2014 Online Gambling Task Force report (link in French), chaired by Dr. Louise Nadeau. Experts agree that it is time for Québec to modernize the current gaming system and that the Crown Corporation cannot continue to self-regulate.

About the Québec Online Gaming Coalition

The Québec Online Gaming Coalition (Betway, Bet99, DraftKings, Flutter, Entain, RushStreet and Apricot) is an industry-led organization that brings together the leading online gaming operators, offering a variety of services from sports betting to online casinos. The Coalition was launched in May 2023 to call on the Québec government to modernize the current system by establishing a licensing and tax system and creating an independent regulatory body to oversee the gaming sector in Québec. By doing so, the Coalition wishes to help foster a responsible and safe environment that protects consumers.

SOURCE Québec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC)

Alexandre Lessard-Martin, Québec Online Gaming Coalition, Tel: [phone], Email: [e-mail], Website: coalitionjeuligneqc.ca