Licensing and regulation: Can we get a licence?

Quebec's gambling framework is anchored in the Act respecting the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ Act, RLRQ c R-6.1), the enabling statute for the province's licensing and regulatory authority. This cycle brought a confirmed statutory development: SQ 2026, c 7 (Bill 13) amends the RACJ Act and came into force on April 2, 2026, a durable primary-legislation change to the regulator's home statute. However, the gaming-specific substance of that amendment could not be resolved from available secondary sources this pass, leaving its practical effect on licensing conditions, activity classifications, or regulator powers as an open question rather than a settled fact. No new licensing pathway for private operators was created or removed this cycle: Loto-Québec's Espacejeux platform remains the sole provincially licensed online gambling channel, and there is no B2B or B2C licensing framework parallel to the independent-regulator models now operating in Ontario and Alberta. The amendment's confirmed existence, set against its unresolved gaming-specific scope, keeps this category at an elevated watch status pending clarification.