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The Corporation > The Corporation > About us > Our history

Our history

Proud of our Past, Looking Toward the Future!

Always attentive to the needs of our customers, and thanks to its dynamism, over the years, we have always met the challenges of a constantly changing world.

Since 1969, several dates and events have marked our history.

1969-1975

1976-1980

1981-1985

1986-1990

1991-1995

1996-2000

2001-2005

2006-2010

2011-2012

2013-2014

Last update: May 16, 2013

January: Maurice T. Custeau is appointed President.
March 14: Loto-Québec holds its first draw, Inter Loto, a $2 passive lottery offering a jackpot of $125,000.
The three first lotteries created were: Mini (weekly lottery for 50 cents). First draw: June 5 Inter (monthly $2 lottery) Super (quarterly $4 lottery)
Over the course of the fiscal year ending March 31, 1971, Loto-Québec awards more than $15 million in prizes, based on sales of $51 million.

The Société d’exploitation des loteries et courses du Québec (Loto‑Québec) becomes the Société des loteries et courses du Québec.
La Collection Loto-Québec acquires its first work of art.
The Federal Government withdraws from the lottery industry in exchange for compensation from the provinces.
September 10: La Quotidienne, a terminal-based game involving a three-digit number, is launched.

May: Loto-Bingo, the first instant lottery available regularly from Loto‑Québec retailers, is offered to customers.
With the arrival of the $2 lottery, La Poule aux œufs d’or, Loto-Québec gives an interactive dimension to a popular 60s television program.
June: The Société des loteries vidéo du Québec, a Loto-Québec subsidiary, is created.
October 9: The Casino de Montréal opens for business, and includes a self-exclusion program.

April: Loto-Québec inaugurates its Québec City office, where winners from the region can claim their prizes.
September 8: The Casino de Montréal is now open 24 hours a day.
December 2: The Société des bingos du Québec, a Loto-Québec subsidiary, launches its business operations.
Loto-Québec donates $500,000 over five years to the Centre québécois d'excellence pour la prévention et le traitement du jeu at Université Laval.
Loto-Québec incorporates the concept of responsibility into its administrative framework and creates a team to conduct scientific research and prevent excessive gambling.

Count Me Out, a program designed to raise awareness among young people about the risks of games of chance and gambling, is launched in some 3,200 schools across Québec.
Loto-Québec creates a consortium with Canadian Pacific Hotels and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ to acquire and develop the Manoir Richelieu hotel complex.
December: Creation of Ingenio, a new subsidiary dedicated to multimedia.
The Government of Québec modifies Bill 84 governing lotteries: starting February 1, 2000, the sale of lottery products to minors is prohibited.

Over a five-year period, 1,012,800 winners claimed prizes.
Loto-Québec moves to its new offices on Berri Street in Montréal.

Paul-André Michaud is appointed President.
Following a draw for Super Loto, Loto-Québec awards its very first $1 million prize.
Ontario and the western provinces create the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation.

Jean-Marc Lafaille is appointed President.
Loto-Québec entrusts the management of lottery ticket kiosks to non‑profit organizations (NPOs).

In keeping with technological developments, Loto-Québec acquires computers and terminals in order to operate lotteries in real-time. Hence, the 6/36 becomes computerized.
Loto-Québec and the Atlantic provinces join the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game called Provincial is sold from coast to coast.

June 12: The first pan-Canadian terminal-based lottery is launched. Named Lotto 6/49, it is offered to consumers weekly with a guaranteed jackpot of $500,000.
Loto-Québec becomes responsible for the secretarial position of the International Association of State Lotteries, today called the World Lottery Association.

Mini and Inter tickets are produced by computer using a state-of-the-art technique that offers security advantages.
Loto-Québec moves to 500 Sherbrooke Street West in Montréal.

David Clark is appointed President.
Lotto 6/49 becomes bi-weekly.
The Federal Government guarantees the provinces exclusive jurisdiction over lotteries and gambling in exchange for a contribution of $100 million to the Calgary Olympics.

January: Roue de Fortune is launched, becoming the first lottery in which the game takes place live on television.
May: The Super Loto makes way for Spécial 88, the first high-end lottery, created in collaboration with the other provincial lottery corporations.
Loto-Québec posts sales of $1 billion.

January: The Les Minis child-care centre opens, welcoming the children of parents working at Loto-Québec’s head office.
April 4: Loto-Québec holds the first draw for Extra, which is twinned with Sélect 42 and Lotto 6/49.
October: Loto-Québec launches Mise-o-jeu, its first sports lottery.

August: Michel Crête is appointed President.
World first: Loto-Quiz is launched. This televised game allows people playing at home and on TV to win prizes.

November: To highlight its 25th anniversary, Loto-Québec holds a gala draw event that is broadcast on television.
The Société des casinos du Québec acquires the building housing the Casino de Montréal, the Québec Pavilion, parking lots and adjacent lots to carry out expansion work.

Web users can obtain draw results on the Loto-Québec Web site.
March 24: The Casino de Hull opens its doors, becoming the third of Québec’s gaming establishments.
September: The Cabaret du Casino de Montréal opens its doors.

The sale of lottery products to persons under 18 years of age is prohibited. The "18+" logo is added to Loto-Québec messages following the adoption of the new law prohibiting the sale of lottery tickets to minors.
Lotomatique is completely reworked. This subscription service enables consumers to play Lotto 6/49, Super 7, Québec 49, and multiple Extra numbers, all automatically.
February: Loto-Québec launches a lottery played with a CD-ROM. The game was developed by subsidiary Ingenio.
The 8,250 lottery terminals are replaced by a model manufactured by Québec firm ETI.
In a joint venture with CGI, Loto-Québec creates Technologies Nter.
Loto-Québec launches a major ad campaign to counter compulsive gambling, adopting the theme "Gambling should remain a game."
A parental control software is offered at the launch of the new multimedia lottery game: Trésors de la tour.
Loto-Québec helps create the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours at McGill University.

April: Loto-Québec increases its allocation to countering compulsive gambling to $20 million. Management of the prevention and treatment program is handed over to the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
October: Adjacent to the Casino de Hull, the Théâtre du Casino, the Hilton Lac-Leamy and a conference centre are inaugurated. Total cost of the project: $210 million.
The training program, Au hasard du jeu, for video lottery retailers is launched.
Crisis intervention services are implemented in casinos to offer immediate on-site help to people showing signs of distress related to compulsive gambling.

June: A new terminal-based game is offered to consumers: Super 7.
June: Video lottery terminals are installed in bars and are managed by a Loto-Québec subsidiary, the Société des loteries vidéo du Québec.
June 24: The Casino de Charlevoix opens for business.

February: Gaétan Frigon is appointed President.
March: The Casino de Hull becomes the Casino du Lac-Leamy.
March: The Fondation Mise sur toi, which becomes independent in 2009, is created.
May: The expansion and restoration work begins on the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Golf Course.
July: Loto-Québec creates subsidiary Casino Mundial, an entity dedicated to exporting Loto-Québec’s know-how in the planning, setup and operation of casinos and related services.
Loto-Québec gives $20 million per year to fight compulsive gambling.
The Ici, on carte! program is instituted to help retailers enforce the law prohibiting the sale of lottery products to minors.
Loto-Québec prints the probabilities of winning on the back of lottery tickets and selection sheets to increase awareness in the public of how games really work.

September 29: Alain Cousineau is appointed President.
From February to September: Robert Crevier is the Acting President and Chief Executive Officer.
October 9: The Casino de Montréal celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Technologies Nter becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Loto-Québec.

May: Loto-Québec celebrates 35 years of existence.
May: Loto-Québec inaugurates Espace Création (a venue for exhibits and activities dedicated to promoting the visual arts, located on the ground floor of Loto-Québec’s Montréal head office) with a Gilles Carle tribute exhibition.
Technologies Nter celebrates its fifth anniversary.
July 26: A new subsidiary, the Société des salons de jeux du Québec, is created.
October 14: Two new programs for the voluntary withdrawal of video lottery terminals are announced.
November: Loto-Québec publishes its first Social Responsibility Review.
The Hilton Lac-Leamy hotel wins four awards of excellence at Hilton Hotels’ annual conference, which brings together the management of the chain’s 232 full-service hotels in North America.
Ingenio is awarded an honourable mention by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) in the Mérites du français dans les technologies de l’information competition for its contribution to the advancement of the French language in information technologies with its multimedia lottery game Eldorado.
Québec’s advertising industry honours the 6/49's "Always be nice" ad campaign with two Coq d’or and two Créa awards. The ad also earned a Silver Cassies in a competition hosted by the Canadian advertising industry.
The Code of Responsible Commercialization for video lottery retailers is circulated.

The weekly edition of La Poule aux œufs d’or surpasses the $100 million mark in prizes paid out on TV since the game was introduced in 1993.
The Hilton Lac-Leamy Hotel again wins Best Overall Performance in North America (commercial category), awarded at Hilton Corporation’s annual convention.
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu and Le Charlevoix restaurant are awarded the Four Diamond Rating by the Canadian Automobile Association and the American Automobile Association (CAA-AAA).
February: The Fondation Mise sur toi launches a vast awareness campaign focused on excessive gaming.
March 24: The Casino du Lac-Leamy celebrates its 10th anniversary.
March 30: Loto-Québec’s Casino Mundial subsidiary officially becomes shareholder in the French Moliflor Loisirs group, the third largest casino operator in France.
April 28: A Québecer wins a $30 million Super 7 jackpot, becoming the biggest winner in the history of Loto-Québec.
June 27: Ingenio and Bally Technologies announce that they have formed a long-term strategic alliance to vary the casino games available and maximize player entertainment.
November 2: The Québec Cabinet grants Loto-Québec the authority to open gaming centres in the province. This move represented a new stage in the implementation of Loto-Québec’s 2004-2007 Development Plan.
November: Loto-Québec adopts a sustainable development policy entitled Acting Responsibly and Developing Sustainably.
December: Loto-Québec’s buildings earn the Go Green™ (named BOMA BESt certification since 2008) designation from the Québec branch of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA Québec).
Loto-Québec adopts the World Lottery Association's principles and framework.
The first information booth, Au Centre du hasard, opens at the Casino de Montréal.
Loto-Québec organizes the first week to raise employee awareness about responsible gaming.

January 31: Loto-Québec subsidiary Lotim becomes the sole owner of the building located at 500 Sherbrooke Street West in Montréal, which houses Loto-Québec’s headquarters and its subsidiaries.
June 12: Lotto 6/49 turns 25. Over $6 billion in prizes have been awarded to lucky Quebecers!
October 2: $15 million is invested in renovation and expansion work at the Casino de Charlevoix and the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu hotel.
October 19: The first gaming hall opens in Trois-Rivières.
November 22: The Salon de jeux de Québec opens in Québec City.
December 2: The Société des bingos du Québec celebrates its 10th anniversary. Since it was created, the SBQ has given more than $100 million to non-profit organizations.
The misesurtoi.ca website goes on line.
The Ludoplex card is introduced at the same time its gaming rooms open. The card requires players to set a maximum amount of money to wager at the beginning of each visit.
An Au Centre du hasard information booth opens at the Casino du Lac‑Leamy.
The first awareness campaign for the aboriginal community is organized (an initiative of the Fondation Kanatha in collaboration with Mise sur toi).

January 18: Electronic Texas Hold’em poker makes its début at Québec’s casinos.
April 1: Responsibility for the management of gaming halls is given to the Société des loteries vidéo du Québec, a Loto-Québec subsidiary.
April 13: Loto-Québec announces the upcoming opening of a casino at Tremblant resort.
October 3: Loto-Québec is awarded its second Pilier d'Or presented by the Association des gestionnaires de parcs immobiliers institutionnels for the quality of its sustainable development policies.
October 31: Loto-Québec distinguishes itself at the first World Lottery Association (WLA) Responsible Gaming competition by winning the Best Player Education Program award.
November 13: Loto-Québec becomes a partner of UQAM's Chaire de responsabilité sociale et de développement durable.
November 20: The Célébration lottery celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Loto-Québec donates $600,000 to the Fondation de l'Université du Québec en Outaouais to fund the purchase of high-tech equipment for the new cyberpsychology laboratory.
Loto-Québec adopts a code of conduct for lottery retailers to reinforce their understanding of integrity, respect and social responsibility.
Loto-Québec requires retailers to take the terminal-based training Accès+, which strengthens the notions of responsible gaming and the law against selling lottery products to minors.

February 3: The Collection Loto-Québec celebrates its 30th anniversary.
March 23: Loto-Québec announces major renovations that will enable the Casino de Montréal to remain competitive. The investment of $305.7 million will be made over four years.
April 1: Loto-Québec is awarded Level 4 certification—the highest international certification of its kind—from the World Lottery Association (WLA).
April 22: Loto-Québec signs a partnership agreement with Québec's various police forces to assist them in Amber Alerts when children kidnapped and their lives are in danger.
June 24: The Casino de Mont-Tremblant opens its doors to the public.
June 25: A world record is set at the Casino de Charlevoix-Manoir Richelieu! The Guinness challenge for the largest cake-decorating event was taken up by 1,293 participants.
September 14: Super 7 pays out a $21 million jackpot in its final draw.
September 18: In collaboration with the other provincial lottery corporations, Loto-Québec launches Lotto Max.
November 6: Lotto Max offers the biggest prize pool in the history of Canadian lotteries. Over and above the $50 million jackpot, Lotto Max pays outs 10 additional prizes of $1 million each, called Maxmillions.
Loto-Québec formalizes the decrease in video lottery terminals by cutting the sites where they are available by more than 36%.
An Au Centre du hasard information booth opens at the Casino de Charlevoix.

June 25: Lotto Max offers the largest combined jackpot ever announced by Loto-Québec. In addition to its $50 million jackpot, Lotto Max sweetens the pot with 49 Maxmillions.
July 26: The government authorizes the Société des loteries du Québec to offer online gaming.
August 20: Loto-Québec pays out a Lotto Max jackpot of approximately $37.6 million, the biggest prize ever won by a Québec resident.
October 18: Loto-Québec introduces Kinzo, a new group game that provides financial assistance to non-profit organizations.
November 22: Formule groupe, a new way to play the lottery as a group, is launched.
December 1: Loto-Québec’s online gaming site, Espacejeux.com, is up and running!
An internal committee on responsible gaming is formed.
An Au Centre du hasard information booth opens at the Casino de Mont‑Tremblant.
The Bien joué! program is launched to recognize efforts made by video lottery retailers to responsibly manage the terminals.
Loto-Québec updates its mission and unveils its vision, both of which include the responsible marketing of gaming.

May 2: Loto-Québec launches Lotto Poker. A first in Québec, this lottery offers an animated instant game called Quick Play that allows consumers to immediately see the result on the consumer screen.
June 8: Loto-Québec inaugurates two Kinzo halls, one in Repentigny and one in Longueuil, which are part of the network with the Montréal Kinzo hall.
July 20: Inauguration of new Kinzo halls in Joliette and Saint‑Eustache.
July 28: Loto-Québec is granted Security Control Standard Certification by the World Lottery Association (WLA SCS 2006), in recognition of the secure and trustworthy manner in which it operates games of chance.
The Lotoresponsable recognition program for lottery retailers begins.
October 26: In keeping with the results of a pilot project launched in 2010, the Société des bingos du Québec adapts the Kinzo project by establishing smaller, more user friendly halls.
November 7: Gérard Bideau is appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Loto-Québec.
November 9: Kinzo opens in Vaudreuil-Dorion.
November 30: Kinzo grand opening in LaSalle.
December 7: Loto-Québec launches Kinzo in Beauport.
December 9: Kinzo begins operations in Saint‑Vincent‑de‑Paul, Laval.

March 26: Mise-o-jeu is offering its sports bet selections online and through its mobile app.
May 7: Loto-Québec launches Sprinto, its 2nd terminal-based Quick Play lottery. In addition to an evening draw, a horse racing animation that takes place at time of purchase enables consumers to see live the result of the in-store game.
June 20: Kinzo opens in Granby.
July 4: Kinzo begins operations in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
August 27: It is possible to buy Loto-Québec lotteries online from a computer or using a mobile application.
September 9: For a second consecutive time, Loto-Québec has officially received Responsible Gaming Framework’s Level 4 Certification from the World Lottery Association (WLA).This certification is valid until July 2015.
September 26: Kinzo opens in Drummondville.
October 13: Loto-Québec launches a new online game: Québec Max.
November 1: Kinzo opens in Sherbooke.
December 5: Kinzo opens in Montréal.
December 12: Kinzo opens in Victoriaville.

January 30: Kinzo opens in Laval.
March 11: Loto-Québec launches Lotto :D, its 3rd terminal-based Quick Play lottery. In addition to an evening draw, a dice game animation that takes place at time of purchase enables consumers to see live the result of the in-store game.
April 15: You can check terminal-issued lottery tickets and sports betting tickets using the Lotteries or Mise-o-jeu mobile apps.
May 15: Vanier Kinzo hall opens in Québec.