Photo by Adrien Olichon
While Canada is one of the most gambling-friendly countries on the global level, its provinces have their own regulations and therefore some are more pioneering like Ontario and Quebec while others are still a bit behind. While Quebec is also gambling-friendly compared to some other locations, it is not as open in terms of industry regulations as Ontario.
Its gambling businesses and players’ activities are currency-regulated by Loto-Quebec which was established back in 1969. Today, this organization regulates lottery and all gaming activities within the province, including casino houses, bingo halls, video lottery terminals, etc.
There are many allowed activities in the province, so tourists who are visiting should find out more about each and the attached limitations, and after that, they will be able to choose among some of the best gambling houses listed by the end of this post!
Online Casino Gambling in Quebec
At the time of writing this, Loto-Québec legally offers only its own gambling website that is fully regulated and controlled. The organization does not currently grant licenses to other best Quebec online casinos for real money that would like to operate for local players.
However, it does not block foreign websites run from abroad that target locals, nor does it restrict access to these websites or persecute local players for registering accounts or playing for real money with casino platforms operated from other countries. Therefore, it is safe to say that gamblers in the Quebec province have access to the local platform and to international online casinos that are plenty and that accept real money customers from this jurisdiction. It is hard to say how many casinos do that but if we only take licensed sites that are the most reliable and the safest ones, there are around 20 websites for sure that are secure enough for betting.
Slot Machines in Land-Based Casino Houses
Slot machines are another very popular gambling entertainment in Quebec and there are thousands of them available in general. Well-known game developers release new software for slot games on a regular basis and sell slot machine cabinets and software updates to licensed casinos in the province.
It is important for tourists to remember that Quebec only allows slot machines on the premises of land-based casino houses. Video Lottery Terminals, or VLT, on the other hand, can be located in other places like bars or racinos.
By the way, racinos are also rather popular because players can play some slots, or table games offline, or make bets on racing and sports competitions right on the premises of the facility via dedicated mobile applications. In most cases, these apps only work while the player is in the racino (so you can’t download it there and just go playing anywhere you like).
Classic Table Games
All the classic table games that exist are offered in the offline form at brick-and-mortar casino houses in Quebec, or as electronic table games, also at casino houses or racinos. Fans of table games can enjoy Baccarat, Blackjack, different types of Roulette, Poker, dice games, and more if they are eligible to enter the casino facility and they are of the right age.
Speaking of table games, the situation with poker and poker rooms is still unclear in Quebec. On the one hand, all gambling activities that are not clearly allowed are prohibited, and there are no clear regulations for poker at the time. On the other hand, players have access to online poker at casino websites. However, there are currently no poker rooms at the biggest land-based casinos in the province.
Bets on Horse Racing
There are not many racecourses in Quebec that hold races and allow bets. One of the most popular racecourses available is the following:
- Hippodrome de Trois-Rivières
- Google Rating: 4.3
- Address: Trois-Rivières, Quebec G8Z 0A4
- Open: 1 pm – 10 pm
- Dining Spots: Buffet, Snackbar
Quebec allows making various types of bets on horse racing, both on the racetrack and online in the relevant racino. One has to be at least 18 years of age to attempt horse race betting for real money.
Local Lottery & Bingo
Both lottery and bingo are regulated by Loto-Québec and have been taking place for decades as games popular with locals of various social strata. One has to be eligible to play bingo or buy lottery tickets, but this entertainment is often available at fairs and is used by the local governments to fund charity and collect money for local educational or cultural projects. Some towns allow teenagers to take part in lotteries and bingo if accompanied by their parents or guardians. Also, tourists may find out that they are not allowed to buy lottery tickets offline if they are not Canadians.
The Best Casino Houses in the Province
Those tourists in Quebec interested in the best options for gambling in Quebec but do not want to limit themselves to online casinos and apps can take advantage of the following list of facilities:
Casino de Charlevoix
- Google Rating: 4.2
- Address: 183, Rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, Quebec
- Open: Thu – Sun: 2 pm – 12 am
- Number of Slot Machines: 1000
- Number of Table Games: 22
- Dining Spots: Le Saint-Laurent, St-Hubert signé , The Bellerive
Casino de Mont-Tremblant
- Google Rating: 4.0
- Address: 300 Chem. des Pléiades, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec J8E 0A7
- Open: Thu – Sun: 2 pm – 12 am
- Number of Slot Machines: 500
- Table Games: temporarily closed
- Dining Spots: Altitude Restaurant, Bar Central
Casino de Montreal
- Google Rating: 4.3
- Address: 1 Ave du Casino, Montreal, Quebec H3C 4W7
- Open: 2 pm – 2 am
- Number of Slot Machines: 3200
- Number of Table Games: 115
- Dining Spots: L’instant Déli & Pâtes, Dame de cœur Bar
Casino du Lac-Leamy
- Google Rating: 4.3
- Address: 1 Bd du Casino, Gatineau, Quebec J8Y 6W3
- Open: Sun – Thu: 9 am – 3 am; Fri – Sat: 9 am – 5 am
- Number of Slot Machines: 1870
- Number of Table Games: 65
- Dining Spots: Arome Seafood & Grill, Banco Bistro, Bar 7
Salon de Jeux de Quebec
- Google Rating: 3.8
- Address: 847 Rue Clemenceau, Québec, QC G1C 2K6
- Open: 9 am – 3 am
- Number of Slot Machines: 335
- Number of Table Games: 5
- Dining Spots: Bar Ludo
