Loto-Québec may have been given even more reason to stand firm behind its monopoly status this week as the provincial Crown Corporation revealed a huge financial milestone.
The company announced that it exceeded CA$3bn (£1.6bn) in revenue for the first time during the 2025-26 financial year. This also marks the fourth consecutive year its revenues have surpassed $1.5bn.
It also revealed that it has paid out a record $1.9bn to lottery winners, with 111 millionaire winners during the fiscal year. Despite this, it’s become abundantly clear that gaming operations have become key to its activity over the past few years.
“This excellent performance shows the strength of our organisation and our ability to maintain our growth trajectory, while generating significant spin-offs for Québec,” said Jean-François Bergeron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loto-Québec.
Successive quarterly results have shown that casino revenue has become the main growth driver for the company. A financial statement covering 1 April-29 December revealed that casein and gaming hall revenue came in at $976.6m.
This exceeded the $731m recorded for the country’s lottery segment, making it the second largest after casino and gaming. The group has continued to invest in casino and gaming halls, with a fourth venue opened in December.
Online gaming is now on its radar, with the group’s President underscoring this as a key objective.
With this in mind, the group has also been campaigning heavily against calls for Québec to launch its own online betting and gaming market, similar to the one in place in Ontario since 2022 and which will soon be launched in Alberta.
Loto-Québec has been arguing heavily against such an introduction, stating that it would be detrimental to the province’s citizens. With $3bn in revenue reported in 2025-26 fiscal year, it’s clear there’s also a financial rationale.
“It is essential that Loto-Québec strengthen its position in online gaming, including sports betting, to ensure greater oversight and that the profits generated benefit the people of Québec,” Bergeron said.
“We’re promoting a responsible approach, aiming to capture the market rather than stimulate its growth.”