Aristocrat Interactive Secures Canadian Expansion With Loto-Québec Partnership

Aristocrat Interactive has expanded its Canadian presence by partnering with Loto-Québec, bringing its real-money gaming portfolio to the province’s regulated gambling market. This move strengthens the supplier’s position across North America’s government regulated lottery markets as it grows beyond Ontario.

Quebec has become an attractive online gambling market in recent years. Loto-Québec’s Espacejeux platform generated almost CAD496 million in revenue during 2023, compared with CAD270 million in 2020.

Unlike Ontario with dozens of competing private operators, Loto-Québec is the province’s only licensed online gambling operator. Residents can legally gamble online from the age of 18, one year younger than Ontario’s minimum age.

Supplier sees exclusive access as an opportunity to support growth

The partnership gives Aristocrat Interactive access to one of Canada’s largest regulated gambling markets through a single operator.

According to Chris Shaban, General Manager of Aristocrat Interactive, the agreement represents an important commercial opportunity for both companies.

“As the exclusive operator in one of Canada’s largest provinces, Loto-Québec offers us a unique opportunity to deliver our premium content and aggregation capabilities to players across Quebec. We are pleased to support their digital roadmap with our extensive portfolio of proven titles and innovative experiences,” Shaban said.

The supplier will deliver its portfolio of slots and digital content, supported by French language accessibility and localised services. Aristocrat believes the partnership will help improve player engagement while supporting Loto-Québec’s digital growth strategy.

Fusion platform supports content expansion within Quebec’s framework

Furthermore, Aristocrat Interactive will deploy its Fusion aggregation platform to allow Loto-Québec integrate third party content through a single system. This technology simplifies content management while giving players access to a wider catalogue of games.

The rollout supports Quebec’s responsible gambling requirements, including deposit limits, reality checks and secure payment methods.

Interac is the province’s most popular deposit payment option, followed by Visa and Mastercard. Cryptocurrencies are also growing among customers. The agreement also reinforces the regulated market at a time when offshore operators control over 80% of online gambling activity in Quebec.

Leadership changes accompany North American growth ambitions

Since the rollout in June, Aristocrat Interactive titles have been available on the Loto-Québec platform. Additional content from NeoGames Studio is expected later this year. The supplier also plans to develop its Fusion platform to support faster third-party integrations and additional products, including live dealer and instant win games.

This partnership follows the appointment of former Light & Wonder executive Daniel O’Donoghue as Chief Operating Officer, another key development for Aristocrat Interactive. His arrival will support the company’s expansion strategy across regulated markets, with Canada as one of its priority regions.