Sports Betting in Quebec
Quebec is the second-largest province in Canada and one of the first provinces to legalize different forms of gambling, including wagering on sports. Quebec is home to a couple of major-league teams, such as the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL, Montreal Alouettes in the CFL, and many other successful teams, so it is safe to say it is a real sports hub. Therefore, it is easy to understand why sports betting is so huge in Quebec.
To learn more about the legal framework of sports betting in Quebec, what forms of sports wagering are available in this French-speaking province, and how it all works, read on!
Sports Betting Sites for Quebec
Legal Framework of Gambling in Quebec — Is Sports Betting Legal?
According to the laws and regulations, sports betting, together with casino gaming, the lottery, and other forms of gambling is entirely legal and overseen by the Quebec Alcohol, Racing and Gaming Commission (Québec Régie des Alcools des Courses et des Jeux) which is the province’s gambling regulatory body.
The sole proprietor of legal sports betting in Quebec, as well as casino games, the lottery, and other forms of gambling is the Loto-Québec lottery commission. Loto-Québec was established in 1970 when the Canadian Criminal Code was amended to allow individual provinces to decide whether they want to legalize gambling or not. What first started as a lottery company is now the biggest gambling provider in the province.
What plagues Quebec’s sports wagering laws are pretty much the same regulations plaguing other provinces, such as the ban on single-game wagers, so all sports bets need to be in the form of parlays and with at least two selections and no more than eight on a single betting slip.
Also, players need to be at least 18 years old to place wagers in any of the betting shops located throughout Quebec or online.
How Does Sports Betting Work in Quebec?
Sports wagering games in Quebec are better known as Mise-O-Jeu games. Bettors can wager on their favourite teams and players in numerous authorized local lottery shops or do it online at https://miseojeuplus.espacejeux.com/, which is Loto-Québec’s official site for online sports betting.
Players who choose to play Mise-O-Jeu online, need to register an account and verify that they are residents of Quebec first. The site has recently been updated, and now includes the live betting option and a cashout option as well.
The majority of bets are placed on American and Canadian football, hockey, snooker, soccer, tennis, and baseball. Still, the entire offer includes close to 20 different sports, so the variety is there for sure.
As we have mentioned earlier, the players are entitled solely on parlay-type bets, with at least 2 selections on a betting slip and no more than 8. The minimum bet that can be placed per Mise-O-Jeu slip is C$2, while the maximum is C$100. The maximum payout is set at C$250,000.
The most popular bets Quebecers place are:
- Match or event winner with 2 outcomes — punters bet on the winner of the match or game, but can’t bet on it finishing in a tie
- Match or event winner with 3 outcomes — this type of bet allows the bettors to predict not just the winner of the game, but wager on a tie as well
- Spread bets — in spread bets, punters not only predict the winner of the game but by how many goals, points, strokes or other means of keeping the score
- Total (over/under) — this type of bet allows Quebecers to predict if the total number of points or goals in the game will be more or less than the margin offered
Apart from these betting markets, there are plenty more, such as double chance, half-time/final, and many others. The offer is much more diverse than in most other state-run betting sites, so the players have many reasons to be happy about playing Mise-O-Jeu by Loto-Québec. Also, bonuses and promotions such as free bets are common, which also helps Loto-Québec compete with offshore online sportsbooks.
Are Offshore Sports Betting Sites Illegal in Quebec?
The legality of offshore sports betting sites in Quebec is not quite clear, just like in the rest of Canada. Actually, Loto-Québec had one of the most highly publicized clashes with offshore sportsbooks in history. Namely, the local Quebec government passed the infamous Bill 74 that aimed at blocking the ISPs of offshore sportsbooks, thus blocking players from accessing them. However, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled the bill unconstitutional and lifted the ban. No player from Quebec was ever charged for wagering on sports in offshore sportsbooks, so Quebecers are free to do so.