The Quebec Liberal proposal would tighten online gambling rules, expand regulatory oversight and bring prediction markets into a joint provincial framework.

Quebec Liberal Leader Charles Milliard proposed a broader regulatory system for online gambling on September 9, 2026. The plan places the province’s state-run model at the centre of the election debate.

The proposal would expand the mandate of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux. The regulator would accredit and monitor all online gambling platforms operating in Quebec.

It would also introduce stricter rules on advertising, addiction prevention and the protection of minors.

A proposed shift from the current model

Quebec currently identifies Loto-Québec’s lotoquebec.com as the province’s only legal online gaming website. Loto-Québec operates the platform as a Crown corporation.

The Liberal proposal would move Quebec toward a broader oversight system. It would not open the market immediately. Any change would require legislation and regulatory decisions after the election.

The Régie currently administers laws covering areas such as racing, lotteries, video lottery systems and alcohol permits. Its existing mandate does not accredit every online gambling platform operating in the province.

Prediction markets create a second regulatory dispute

The proposal would give the Régie and the Autorité des marchés financiers joint responsibility for prediction markets. These platforms offer contracts linked to future events and can sit between financial products and gambling.

The Autorité des marchés financiers says no prediction market is authorized to operate in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada. It also says some Canadian investment dealers may provide limited access to event contracts traded on foreign regulated markets.

That distinction is central to the debate. The Liberal proposal describes a regulatory gap around prediction markets. The securities regulator’s guidance focuses on unauthorized domestic platforms and limited access through regulated dealers.

What the proposal could change for players

Accredited platforms would have to meet new provincial standards covering:

  • Advertising restrictions.
  • Protection of minors.
  • Prevention of gambling addiction.
  • Independent support for people affected by gambling problems.
  • Oversight of prediction-market activity involving Quebec residents.

The proposed prevention body would be funded by the gambling industry rather than taxpayers. The Liberal Party did not set out a licensing fee structure, enforcement penalties or an implementation timetable in its September 9 announcement.

An election issue with national implications

Quebec’s approach differs from Ontario’s private-operator model and Alberta’s newer competitive online gambling framework. Quebec instead relies on Loto-Québec as its legal online gambling operator.

A broader accreditation system would force Quebec to address two separate questions. The first is whether private platforms should gain a legal route into the province. The second is which regulator should control products that combine betting, financial contracts and political or economic events.

For now, the proposal remains an election commitment. Quebec’s current legal online gambling framework remains in place unless the next government changes the law.