The Quebec casino gaming scene is refined in its approach. Run by Loto-Québec, there are four top-class casinos dotted across the province. At each one, you’ll find top-of-the-line slot machines, luxurious table games, and a whole host of other digital and specialty games, like video poker and keno.
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In Montreal, you’ll find the largest casino in Canada. Over in La Malbaie and up on Mont-Tremblant, people come from far and wide for the idyllic scenery surrounding the lavish casinos nestled away. Then, there’s a fourth casino in Gatineau, which is always welcoming patrons from across the provincial border to Ontario – particularly when it comes to the casino lovers of Ottawa.
With so much to find across the four Quebec casinos, it’s not a surprise that people across the province and far beyond come to experience the entertainment. Before you embark on such a journey, here’s what you need to know about the Quebec casino gaming scene.
There are four active casinos in Québec, all of which are operated by the government’s Loto-Québec. Between them, they generate close to $1bn in sales and welcome close to 10 million people every year. To say that they’re a big part of the Quebec economy would be an understatement.
Quebec casinos are a big selling point for tourists and local entertainment-seekers. In fact, Loto-Québec reports that the four casinos, two gaming halls, two hotels, and online options they oversee contribute some $581m to the province’s GDP. That’s generated by the 9.7 million visitors to the casinos – 3.4 million of which are tourists.
The building of the casinos in Quebec is seen as a catalyst for further diversification in the tourism industry. The casinos spawned other additional attractions, including hotels and dedicated entertainment venues for live performances. For some, such as Casino de Mont-Tremblant, the gaming attraction only adds to the tourist draw – in this instance, enhancing the overall offering of the ski lodges.
The history and future of Quebec casinos all comes down to Loto-Québec. The government-owned corporation began as an entity to govern mostly lottery schemes in late 1969, and now, it oversees all of the more modern inclusions to the Quebec gambling scene.
After Loto-Québec was established, the first drawing lottery came shortly after, with its first draw in March 1970. More lottery games were added in the ensuing months and years, and in 1978, the governing body was quick to adopt computerized gaming terminals. It wasn’t until the 1990s that Quebec entered the casino scene.
The month that kick-started the world of casino gaming in Quebec was December 1992. It was then that Loto-Québec and other authorities gave the green light to build two government-run casinos. These two sites would be Île Notre-Dame in Montreal and Pointe-au-Pic in Charlevoix.
Casino de Montreal opened in 1993, followed by Casino de Charlevoix in 1994. Casino du Lac-Leamy was established in Gatineau in 1996 and still stands today. Many other gambling sites were opened in 2008 and 2009, with the last still-standing casino to open being Casino du Mont-Tremblant in 2009.
If you’re looking for world-class casino action in Quebec, not only do you have plenty of choices, but each of them sits in a particularly stunning part of the province. Whether you’re near Montréal, La Malbaie, or Mont-Tremblant, there’s a superb range of tables and slots just around the corner.
Casino de Montreal holds the honour of being the single largest casino in all of Canada. The venue was once two former Expo 67 buildings, but it has since combined and expanded to offer a truly massive hall of entertainment. Naturally, the huge casino is the big selling point with its collection of over 3,000 slots and 80 table games.
Plus, as you’ll find with many Quebec casinos, it’s in a stunning location – this time in Jean-Drapeau Park on Notre Dame Island. There’s so much to explore and enjoy at Casino de Montréal. It plays host to both the ARcade and its immersive, competitive gameplay experience that fuses technologies like AR and VR.
There’s also the equally cutting-edge game terminal suite, The Zone, where you and your friends can meet up and play a bunch of electronic casino games while a live host runs the show. You’ll find three top-class restaurants and even a range of shows and performances in the Casino Cabaret too.
Sitting up on the Versant Soleil, Casino de Mont-Tremblant looks like a peaceful ski lodge on approach. Within, the Level 3 BOMA BEST-certified venue is loaded with entertainment, events, and casino games. You can try a superb meal at the Altitude Restaurant, get hyped for the live music on weekends, and relax at a luxurious 29-seat bar.
Its ties to the ski resort, via a free shuttle bus, means there are plenty of people making their way up Mont-Tremblant for something different in the evenings. You might even catch one of the many variety shows put on, like the Cabaret Éclats Tremblant. In the casino, you’ll find over 500 slot machines, poker rooms, and 16 table games with professional croupiers.
Casino de Charlevoix is an equally scenic Quebec casino, and it’s this venue that helps make the glorious five-star hotel so popular. Also loaded with a world-class golf course, spa, and a host of restaurants, visitors can bask in the tranquillity of the Saint-Laurent River surrounded by trees and beautiful green spaces.
Of course, Casino de Charlevoix is also teeming with great games to play. All bases are covered with the venue’s diverse array of over 700 slot games and its classic table games like roulette, blackjack, and Mississippi stud poker. If you’re feeling lucky, you can even try to bet your way to a shot at any of three progressive jackpots!
There may only be a handful of casinos in Quebec, but the active venues are teeming with games. Most contain over 1,000 different games, from slots to classic table games. So, whether you want to spin for a progressive jackpot or just try to beat the dealer in blackjack, there’ll be a game for you at a Quebec casino.
You’ll find all of the classic table games, their modern variants, and poker as staples of the Quebec casino experience. Naturally, roulette takes centre stage. In some Quebec casinos, you’ll even find the favoured European or French roulette tables.
Along with roulette, you’ll find plenty of blackjack tables to take on the house, as well as variants like Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack, and Spanish 21. Poker is, of course, in abundance too. Furthermore, there are plenty of other more novel table games, like the game War, where you faceoff against the dealer if you get the same hand.
You’ll find poker rooms for some player-versus-player competition as well as casino poker tables, like three-card poker, Mississippi stud poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker.
You’ll find every kind of theme and special feature on offer at the slot machines available in Quebec casinos, ranging in minimum bets.
You’ll find Big Hit Flaming Pots, Combo Cash Rockin’ Reels, Mystery of the Lamp, Bigger Fu Cash Bats, and Buffalo Power Pay to be among the most popular slot machines at casinos in Quebec. You might just find some hot slots tied to potentially massive progressive jackpot prizes too!
While there are plenty of dedicated bingo halls dotted around the province, Quebec casinos also house their own keno and bingo rooms for the ever-popular specialty games. At Casino de Montreal, for example, you’ll find a couple of keno lounges, virtual games on digital terminals, and video lottery options.
There are four casinos in Quebec: Casino du Mont-Tremblant, Casino du Lac-Leamy, Casino de Charlevoix, and Casino de Montreal. Each is popular in its own right, but as the largest casino in Canada, Casino de Montreal is certainly the biggest draw.
The legal age for gambling in Quebec province is 18-years-old. Many other Canadian provinces set the minimum age for gambling at 19, but in Quebec, you can legally gamble at the age of 18.
The province of Quebec has four casinos in operation, located in Montreal, La Malbaie, Gatineau, and Mont-Tremblant. All of them are run by Loto-Québec, and each boasts hundreds of slots and numerous table games to enjoy.