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Canada – Loto-Québec makes move into esports at DreamHack Montréal

By Phil - 16 August 2016

Canadian casino operator Loto Québec is offering the first legal and secure gaming environment for placing bets on e sports in Québec by joining forces with DreamHack Montréal at the first Canadian edition of this international video gaming event.

The Corporation gave an opportunity to a dozen independent Québec studios to showcase their products by offering free space at Loto Québec’s Indie Zone.

Some 8,000 to 10,000 participants and spectators are expected to come to Place Bonaventure during the three day competition from August 12 to 14. Loto Québec is committed to helping up and coming video game creators cultivate their talent for a Québec speciality that deserves to be more widely known. Loto Québec’s Indie Zone is meeting that objective at Dreamhack Montréal.

Nathalie Rajotte, Corporate Director, Strategy, Innovation and Branding, said: “At Loto Québec, we are passionate about gaming in all its forms. There’s a natural link between our teams and local creators, communities, studios and talented developers. Video gaming is a major source of innovation and pushes the limits of creativity in a whole range of sectors, including ours. Extremely active in Québec, this scene is the source of many great avant guard entertainment ideas.”

Many video gaming fans are already interested in this type of bet, but offerings on the international scene are often via illegal or poorly regulated channels.

“With the increasing popularity of e sports, there is more and more demand for opportunities to bet on this type of competition. With Mise o jeu, Loto Québec is filling the gap by offering a secure and honest environment for placing bets. A new E Sport category has now been activated on our platforms. We will continue to track interest in this type of betting over the coming months,” explained Louis Beaudet, Director of Sports and Entertainment Betting.

Electronic sport, or e sport, refers to competitive video gaming, either online or during events where several fans get together in the same location. The launch of Mise o jeu’s new bet offering coincides with the DreamHack Montréal event. Bet offerings will continue to be available for other international calibre competitions, such as The International, where professional players are featured.