Betting Companies Form Coalition to Agitate for Regulated Market in Quebec

The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition (QOGC) was recently born after betting and gambling industry giants, including Flutter Entertainment and DraftKings, came together. The business-led organization wants to use the Coalition to push the government into regulating the Canadian online casino sector, similar to what’s currently happening in Ontario, Canada.

In a press statement, Flutter stated that the objective of establishing the Quebec Online Gaming Coalition is to actively collaborate with local stakeholders and the government to introduce a new regulatory framework for Quebec’s online gaming industry. Currently, Mise-o-jeu from Loto-Québec is the only legal online sports betting and gaming site in the Canadian province.

This will mark a significant breakthrough for the Canadian gambling sector if the regional government concurs with the Coalition and agrees to open the province’s market to private betting operators. It’s to be noted that Quebec is the country’s second-most populated province after Ontario, with a total population of around 8.7 million people. This makes Quebec a compelling market for gaming operators in the country and internationally.

In addition, Flutter said that the QOGC would attempt to alleviate growing worries about consumer safety, advertising, responsible gambling, and rising taxes. The Coalition hopes the new licensing regime will address these worries among qualified private operators.

Meantime, the organization will work with other interested parties to promote the advantages of having an independent regulatory body in Quebec. Flutter’s statement said that the regulator should have uniform regulations to ensure responsible gaming and safeguard vulnerable and underage gamblers.

The Quebec Online Gaming Coalition is also dedicated to funding professional research on gaming practices and how the Coalition can provide a safe and responsible gaming environment for Quebecers through the “Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et Culture.”

“The coalition would like to build on the Ontario model of online gaming regulation, which was successfully developed in collaboration with iGaming Ontario (IGO), the Government of Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and requires private online gaming operators to obtain a license in order to access to the Ontarian market,” the statement continued.

Online operators who are cooperating with Apricot Investments to realize this regulatory dream include: Betway

• Bet99
• DraftKings
• Entain
• Flutter
• Games Global
• Rush Street Interactive

The Coalition was formed partly due to a recent poll conducted by Leger Marketing. According to the survey, 66% of the respondents support licensing and taxation of regulated private online gaming operators. In addition, 71% of Quebecers agree that the government cannot restrict private betting businesses.