TLDR
- A Montreal study of 8,500 adults found 54% of online gamblers use unregulated sites.
- Online gambling rose to 13.3% of adults in 2025, up from 4.4% in 2018.
- Overall gambling participation fell from 54.5% to 39% over the same period.
- Young men aged 18 to 34 showed problem gambling rates of 7.4%, versus 4.6% overall.
- A Quebec industry coalition wants clear iGaming rules before the fall economic update.
More than half of Montreal adults who gamble online are using websites outside Quebec’s regulated system, according to a new study. The findings have led an industry group to press the provincial government for answers on its plans for the market.
The study was released on Nov. 5 by the Montreal Regional Public Health Department (DRSPM) and Concordia University. It surveyed 8,500 adults in the city. The research tracked changes in gambling habits between 2018 and 2025.
Among online gamblers, 38% said they used only unregulated websites. Another 16% used both unregulated platforms and Loto-Québec, the government-owned company that runs the province’s only regulated online platform.
This means a majority of online gamblers in the city place at least some bets with operators not regulated by the province. Loto-Québec remains the only regulated option for Quebec players.
Online Play Grows While Overall Gambling Falls
The study shows a split in how Montreal residents gamble. Overall gambling participation dropped from 54.5% in 2018 to 39% in 2025.
Online gambling moved in the other direction. The share of adults who gambled online rose to 13.3% in 2025, up from 4.4% in 2018, according to the Montreal Gazette.
The online participation rate roughly tripled in seven years. Traditional forms of gambling kept losing players during the same period.
The research also looked at who faces the most risk. Young men aged 18 to 34 showed problematic gambling behaviors at a rate of 7.4%, compared with 4.6% of gamblers overall. The study identified this group as particularly vulnerable.
Public opinion on advertising was also measured. Nearly three in four Montreal adults, or 73%, supported banning online gambling ads, while 70% said gambling was too accessible.
Coalition Presses for Clear Rules
The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition said the study shows why the government needs to explain its plans. Spokesperson Ariane Gauthier said the large number of foreign sites makes the market hard to control.
“Because of the many platforms offering online gaming from abroad, outside the regulated network of the state-owned corporation Loto-Québec, regulating this form of gaming is particularly complex and partially beyond the control of Quebec’s public authorities,” Gauthier said.
She pointed to capital flight, intrusive marketing, fraud and risks to player health and safety as concerns. Gauthier said these issues have also been raised in several jurisdictions around the world.
The coalition wants a single set of rules for all operators, including both Loto-Québec and private companies. Gauthier said such a framework would give the government the leverage to properly regulate the entire sector.
The newly elected Parti Québécois minority government has previously said it plans to introduce a regulated iGaming market similar to Ontario’s. The opposition Liberal Party has also said it supports a market that opens the door to private operators.
Gauthier said the upcoming budget update is a chance for new Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau to act. She called on him to announce concrete steps to support the Parti Québécois commitment to cleaning up the online gaming sector.
The fall economic update is expected in the coming weeks. The government has not yet announced an official date for a full provincial budget.
