Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/russkoe-loto-lotto-game-5875700/
Quebec's government-run gaming operator is having a good year. Loto-Québec just wrapped its first quarter of fiscal 2025-2026 with revenues hitting $766.5 million CAD. That's up 11.1% from last year, or an extra $76.8 million in the coffers. Net income jumped to $384.4 million CAD, a 9.9% increase.
The money's flowing from multiple streams. Casino and gaming hall takings climbed 17.6% to $323.4 million CAD, while their VLTs, network bingo, and Kinzo game operations added another $212.2 million CAD, up 5.7%. September 2025 alone saw casino revenues rise 11% year-over-year, which suggests people are still turning up to play despite the broader economic climate feeling shaky.
President and CEO Jean-François Bergeron pointed out that these results translate directly into community funding for Quebec. Since April, they've minted 42 new millionaires and handed out nearly $430 million in lottery prizes. Not bad for a quarter's work.
The growth isn't just about luck and slot machines. Loto-Québec has been methodical about expanding its footprint while keeping operations under a single provincial umbrella. Unlike some jurisdictions where private operators compete for market share, Quebec's model funnels all gaming revenue back through a single state entity. That centralized approach means profits go straight into public services rather than into shareholders' pockets, which Bergeron's been quick to remind people whenever questions come up about gambling expansion.
On December 5, Loto-Québec announced plans to gut-renovate the Delta Hotel and conference center in Saguenay into what they're calling the Salon de jeux de Saguenay. Expected opening is around mid-2027, roughly 18 months out.
This won't be just another gaming floor. They're planning live shows, events, and supervised gaming in what they're describing as a "vibrant social space." The company's emphasizing responsible gambling measures, trained staff, security systems, and the works. One thing they're clearly focused on is processing times for player payouts, which has become a bigger deal as more operators compete on speed. According to CasinoBeats's list, some platforms now turn around withdrawals in under 24 hours, and that expectation is creeping into how physical venues think about customer service too.
Saguenay's tourism sector should benefit from the extra foot traffic, along with job creation and potential spillover to local businesses. It's part of a broader strategy to spread gaming options beyond Montreal's massive Casino de Montréal. They've done similar projects in Gatineau and Charlevoix, pairing hotels with casinos to create mini-destinations. Given that casino revenues across Quebec jumped 17.6% this year, the timing makes sense.
By reusing an existing building instead of breaking ground on something new, Loto-Québec's keeping costs down while upgrading Saguenay's entertainment infrastructure. Conference attendees and tourists passing through now have another reason to stick around.
Four days later, on December 9, Loto-Québec added casino titles from Fennica Gaming to its regulated online platform—Quebec's only legal digital gaming channel. Fennica's a Finnish outfit owned by Veikkaus Group, and this marks their first move into North America. They already operate in 15 countries, including recent launches in the UAE and Greece.
Getting the games live involved development work, translating everything into French, regulatory approval, and user testing. Fennica's SVP Kirsi Lagus said the process went smoothly despite Quebec's strict compliance requirements. Joni Hovi, their SVP of Customers and Marketing, called it a breakthrough for expanding in tightly regulated markets where player protection actually matters.
Loto-Québec sees the partnership as essential for keeping its digital library fresh. Online gaming's clearly contributing to their 11.1% revenue bump, so adding new content keeps players engaged. Fennica's planning to roll out eInstant products next, which should diversify what's available even further.
Lottery jackpots are doing their part too. A $5 million Lotto 6/49 prize landed in Quebec on December 14. Earlier, on December 12, Lotto Max offered a $94 million prize pool—$80 million jackpot plus 14 separate Maxmillion draws. Another $87 million pool ran on December 9.
These massive draws generate headlines and foot traffic, which feeds back into Loto-Québec's broader ecosystem of retail locations, VLTs, and bingo halls. The corporation operates over 20 Kinzo venues alongside its casino and gaming hall network.
Tourism-wise, Quebec cities like Montreal already pull visitors who then filter through to places like Toronto and Vancouver. Adding a proper entertainment venue in Saguenay taps into that circuit while channeling revenue back into provincial programs. The Fennica deal, meanwhile, ensures their digital platform doesn't stagnate as more players shift online.
What's clear from the numbers is that Loto-Québec's betting on both physical expansion and digital partnerships to maintain momentum. The Saguenay project won't open for another year and a half, but the Fennica launch is already live. Combined with relentless lottery marketing and strong casino performance, they're covering multiple angles.
The question now is whether they can sustain double-digit growth once the novelty wears off and competitors, legal or otherwise, start circling Quebec's market more aggressively.
