Quebec Region
Before we’ll tell you all the gambling info in this region, let’s get to know the province itself first. Quebec is a well-known French province of Canada. It’s basically the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and, therefore, French as the sole official language of the province.
Along with Ontario, Québec belongs to the Central Canada region. It borders with the largest province Ontario and the bodies of water James Bay and Hudson Bay to the west; Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay to the north; the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the east; the province of New Brunswick and the US states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York to the south. Québec also has maritime borders with Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, and Nova Scotia.
The most inhabited areas in the province are urban areas near the Saint Lawrence River between Montreal and the capital of the province, Quebec City. Owing to the historical background of the province, Quebec people are longing for the independence of the province. Nevertheless, sovereignty referendums that were held in 1980 and 1995 failed, so the province remains a French part of Canada.
Why Choosing To Play In Quebec Casinos
We’d not want just to single out any abstract reasons for why you’d choose playing the casinos located or registered in Quebec, since we’d provide exact example of Montreal gambling and its benefits! Just take a look at the following list,
- You’ll have a welcome offer of up to $25 for new members;
- Birthday and holiday offers;
- Slot machine reservation time limit per 4-hour period (from 30 mins to 60 mins);
- Exclusive access to the parking level;
- Access to covered parking;
- You’ll get bonuses from 30% up to 50% when winning the slot machines games;
- You’d have access to exclusive promotions and grand prize draws;
- In a land based casino of Quebec, you’d be given 15% off the price at the restaurant;
- Discounts in some casinos like Théâtre du Casino du Lac-Leamy from 10% up to 30%;
- Exclusive offers at the Hilton Lac-Leamy and Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu during certain periods of the year;
- Preferential rates at certain casino-based hotel partners during certain periods of the year (including the 5% – 20% discount on regular rates in effect for a one-night stay either at the Hilton Lac-Leamy or the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu);
- Free valet parking;
- Free shuttle service;
- Exclusive emails;
- Access to presale tickets and exclusive discounts on shows at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal;
- Priority check-in at the Hilton Lac-Leamy;
- Priority access to the cloakrooms at the casinos of Montreal and Quebec; and
- Priority cash desk access.
So, there is indeed a plenty of reasons to choose Quebec based casinos, both online and land based ones. However, the main difference why Gambling in Quebec is great, since it means that you’re from Canada, and if you’re from Canada you can legally gamble in any casino of the world!
In compliance with the official annual report by Loto-Québec, the following stats on winnings can be pointed out within the borders of Quebec,
- in April 2018, the overall winnings from the Quebec Lottery was C$44,625;
- in April of 2017, the overall winnings from the Quebec Lottery was lower, and it comprised C$40,472;
- the annual winnings in Quebec Lottery were C$396,729 in 2017; while
- in 2018, the same index was already C$532,705;
- by the end of 2019, it is planned to have at least C$600,000 winnings in lottery;
- 6 (!!!) Lotto Max winning tickets were in Québec, and the holders shared a total of $218 million.
We’d also want to display the 10 largest prizes won in 2018 in Québec (unfortunately, the 2019 data is being prepared by Loto-Québec). In any case, the official Loto-Québec Society posts the following stats and records,
- January 2018 – the winning of $60,000,000 at Lotto Max (by the way, in the year 2017, a group of 28 relatives from the Montérégie and Centre-du-Québec regions won a $60,000,000 prize at Lotto Max draw);
- February 2018 – another winning of $60,000,000 at Lotto Max;
- December 2018 – another winning of $60,000,000 at Lotto Max in Montréal;
- April 2018 – a great jackpot of $55,000,000 was won at Lotto Max in Montréal;
- June 2018 – another great jackpot of $55,000,000 was hit at Lotto Max in Estrie
- January 2018 – a marvelous prize of $25,000,000 was gained at Lotto 6/49 – Outaouais, Montréal and Laurentides;
- August 2018 – a surprising winning of $23,017,319 at Lotto Max took place in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean;
- September 2018 – the winning of $16,042,016 at Lotto 6/49 in Montréal, Lanaudière and Montérégie;
- October 2018 – tasty $15,000,000 were won at Lotto Max in Montréal;
- May 2018 – sweet $12,715,949 were gained at Lotto 6/49 in Montréal.
So, one can really believe that Lotto Max is indeed generous with Quebecers, since the same report has some stats to share on the winnings in the casinos of Quebec,
- 21 people won $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prizes at Lotto 6/49;
- The lottery Grande Vie produced 16 winners of lifetime annuities or lump sums;
- The scratch ticket Gagnant à vie! produced 11 winners of $1,000 a week for life and 2 winners of $100,000 a year for life;
- The ticket 100 $ ultime awarded 20 prizes of $1,000,000;
- 15 prizes of $1,000,000 were won at Extra;
- Thanks to Québec Max and Québec 49, 11 prizes of $1,000,000 or more were awarded.
Big amounts awarded online and at the Casino
The new progressive jackpot at casinos also made a lot of people happy in Québec this year already,
- April 2019 – $1,700,000 jackpot was hit in Laval (by the way the initial bat was just $15);
- July 2019 – $1,000,000 was won by a person from Côte-Nord on Espacejeux;
- July 2019 – $1,222,069 was won in Chaudière-Appalaches by a person who was the lucky winner of $1,000,000 at Lotto 6/49 in 2008(!);
- September 2019 – the $1,152,714 progressive jackpot was hit while playing online.
Yes, these are the official data, so you have no reasons to doubt. What is more, Quebec is really a lucky spot, so just travel in there, and maybe you’ll be the next winner of the mind-boggling sums!
Quebec Legal Regulations
Officially, gambling was legalized in the French Province only in 2010, which is quite late compared to other Canadian provinces. That’s probably why there are still not so many land based gambling venues in the province.
Gambling in the province is regulated by The Quebec Alcohol, Racing and Gaming Commission (La Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux). There’s also the official government-run online platform in the province known as Espacejeux that was launched on December 1, 2010. The popularity of gambling in the province was first noticed based on the Espacejeux financial reports showing the increasing revenues. Thus, the big cities of the French Province with Montreal included are fond of online gambling.
In order to get rid of overseas competitors and therefore increase gambling revenues Quebec plans to block offshore gambling websites. In such a way, in 2016, the government of Québec adopted a law according to which local internet providers are obliged to block the province residents from getting access to offshore gambling websites. However, The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has claimed this law to be unconstitutional, so it was shortly denounced.
Gambling Facts and Peculiarities in the French Province
Overall, in the province, there are 10 licensed land based casinos whose list as well as brief reviews you have seen in the corresponding section above in this professional review. The overall revenue of these land based casinos is $3.6 billion, which is quite impressive, huh?
As a rule, each land based casino in the French province can offer you a wide variety of approximately 600 slot machines and 75 game tables. Besides, almost every casino can offer you some really cool non-gaming services such as events, hotels, tours, bars, and so on.
Here are the total number of various gaming facilities available in the French province: 138 Table games, 6,200 Slot machines, and 83 Poker tables. In addition to land based and online casinos, there is one horse track.
Most Popular Gambling Activities in Quebec
Among the most popular games that can be played in Quebec land based casinos, there definitely need to be mentioned: NL Texas Hold’em, No Limit Holdem, Pot Limit Hold ‘Em, Limit Holdem, Sit-n-go, Pot Limit Omaha, Tournaments, Tournament Freerolls.
Besides, Quebec gamblers are fond of placing bets on popular Canadian sports such as ice hockey, Canadian football, soccer, the Grand Prix du Canada Formula 1, and baseball.
Security Of Online Casinos In Quebec
In order to be sure that a particular online casino in Quebec is protected, you should check the following criteria,
- if an online casino of Quebec is mentioned or has certification of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada;
- if a casino has a special license and it is still valid;
- if the Quebec online casino has a licence of Loto-Québec; or
- if the online casino or any other gambling facility are included in the list of the Canada provincially based and Quebec related EspaceJeux organization.
These easy rules and criteria would ensure that whenever you pick up a casino in Quebec – regardless of their types and kind(s) of property – you will gamble in the legal and secure space. What is more, it will let you be sure that you really have a chance and probability to win.
