Espacejeux Review: Home Grown iGaming from Loto-Quebec
Online Casino Quebec: A beginner’s guide to gambling at Espacejeux
Citizens of Quebec have been afforded a unique opportunity. Like all Canadians, they can access hundreds of reputable, internationally regulated online casinos. However, only Quebecois are permitted to do their online gambling at Espacejeux, the home-grown, provincially regulated online casino website of Loto-Quebec.
Having access to a locally run and regulated iGaming website is all well and good, but it doesn’t mean that every adult gaming enthusiast in the province wants to take advantage of what Espacejeux has to offer. Some Quebecois will certainly appreciate it, but others may prefer the features of offshore gambling websites.
To help you better decide if LotoQuebec’s iGaming destination is right for you, I’ve written up this comprehensive, unbiased Espacejeux review, detailing the types of gamlbing, available games, promotions and more.
Online Casino Quebec: Beginner’s Guide to Espacejeux
Espacejeux was first launched onto the world wide web in 2010, making Quebec the second Canadian province to take the locally regulated plunge into iGaming. Its most alluring feature is the fact that it was built right here in Quebec, and is therefore guaranteed to offer the absolute highest level of player protections for members. If you can’t trust your government to abide by its own gambling laws, then who can you trust?
Espacejeux is available to any resident of Quebec, age 18 or older, who is not registered on the province’s voluntary self-exclusion list for problem gamblers. With that being said, let’s take a closer look at what eligible players can take advantage of.
Casino Game Variety
Espacejeux is an all-inclusive iGaming website that offers online casino, poker, bingo and XP games. The games are powered by about a dozen different software brands, including Evolution Gaming for live dealer games, and brands like IGT and SG Digital for online casino games.
There are, at present, over 250 titles between the online casino and XP games (virtual scratch cards) menus:
- Slot Machines: 176
- XP Games: 56
- Table Games: 9
- Virtual Sports: 5
- Live Casino Games: 4
- Keno: 2
The live casino menu includes live dealer blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and standard baccarat with controlled squeeze.
Poker Game Variety
Espacejeux Poker re-branded in mid-2019 as OK Poker. It requires a download to participate, and is compatible with all major operating systems – Windows PC, Mac OS, iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones and Android tablets.
The following cash games are supported:
- Texas Hold’em
- Omaha
- Omaha Hi/Lo
- 7 Card Stud
- 5 Card Stud
- 5 Card Draw
- 5 Card Draw 7-A
A daily regimen of tournaments are also available, but there’s one resounding gripe. There aren’t nearly enough active players on the network. Most of the cash games are completely dead, and the tournaments don’t get much action either, resulting in small pools. Most Quebec poker players choose to do their card gaming internationally for this reason.
Espacejeux Promotions
The promotional aspect of Espacejeux tends to fluctuate between halfway decent and downright ugly. Sometimes there are promotions available, and sometimes there aren’t. Unlike international online casinos, you’ll rarely fund a new player deposit bonus for casino players.
OK Poker currently delivers a $15 bonus just for registering an account, but that’s only because they are in desperate need of more players. You’re welcome to check the website for current offers, but don’t expect to find much.
Why Join Espacejeux Over Offshore iGaming Sites?
Loto-Quebec answers this very question by saying its home-grown gambling website is “official, legal and secure”. That is all true, but don’t fall for the implication that international online casinos are not legal or secure. Being regulated in Quebec is a plus, but sites regulated in international jurisdictions – especially European jurisdictions – are still regulated, and it is not illegal for Canadians to gamble with them.
Simply put, there is more than one online casino Quebec players can legally deposit and play at. Espacejeux is just one of the hundreds of reputable brands out there. If the online casino fulfills all of your needs, then by all means, stick to locally regulated iGaming. If you seek better promotions, more games, higher progressive jackpots or legal sports betting services, the international market is worth looking into.
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