The Société des casinos du Québec has established an organizational structure and senior management team made up of accomplished individuals with a well-defined strategic vision and in-depth knowledge of the daily realities of casino operations and the key issues and considerations related to local tourism.

The Société des casinos du Québec attributes great importance to the quality of the food service and entertainment offered at its establishments. Its employees, selected among the graduates of the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), include renowned chefs and sommeliers (wine waiters and waitresses).

View the SCQ Organization Chart [PDF Format, 70 KB, Help]

Québec's casinos quickly forged an enviable reputation throughout the international gaming industry. They are characterized most notably by their architecture, by the importance they attach to offering exceptional customer service, and by the beauty and quality of their sites.

A few figures...

• Number of jobs directly created: over 5,500
• Number of visits* per year: over 10.7 million
• Number of visits to the casinos by visitors from outside the province each year: over 2 million
• Sales for 2007-2008: $790.4 million
• Earnings for 2007-2008: nearly $291,5 million

Economic Spin-offs for Québec

In addition to paying significant dividends to the Government of Québec, the casinos generate economic spin-offs for the entire province.

The establishment of the casinos required major fixed capital expenditures. Operating the casinos involves the creation of employment, both directly and indirectly, as well as the purchase of goods and services, 86% of which have a place of business in Québec.

Finally, other economic spin-offs can be attributed directly to the casinos' presence in Québec. In fact, the diversification of their activities led to the addition of hotel and entertainment services  that have helped increase the number of clients from outside Québec and to stimulate economic development in the province.

Tourism Markets

The percentage of patrons from outside Québec is estimated at 19.2%.

• The Casino de Montréal is one of the world's largest casinos. It currently welcomes 18,100 visitors per day. Le Cabaret, the casino's entertainment venue, gave 396 representations last year and sold 115,703 tickets.
• Together, the Casino de Charlevoix and Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu have become two of the most popular destinations among tourists from Québec and elsewhere.
• The Casino du Lac-Leamy – Hilton Lac-Leamy Complex is one of the region's key attractions. This resort is home to a casino, a hotel, restaurants and bars, a spa and a convention centre. Le Théâtre gave over 98 representations last year and sold over 41,054 tickets.

When Loto-Québec was first mandated by the Government to open casinos, it was to promote economic development in the province by developing new international tourism markets, while offering new services to the local population.

In 2007-2008, Québec's casinos generated $790.4 million in gaming revenues, 22% of which was from clients from outside the province.

The Société des casinos provides world-class lodging, food and beverage services, and superior quality boutiques in an effort to foresee the needs and surpass the expectations of its various clienteles. Recipients of numerous international awards and honours, Resto-Casino's personnel contribute in a major way to promoting Québec as a prestigious tourist destination.

Restaurants of the Highest Distinction

Thanks to the dedication and hard work of its employees, Montréal's Nuances and Lac-Leamy's Le Baccara restaurants were awarded the coveted CAA/AAA Five Diamond rating.

Internationally acclaimed chefs, including Frédéric Bourse of Italy, Rémy Giraud of Val-de-Loire and Thierry Breton of Paris, have honoured these restaurants with their presence. In fact, epicures the world over are becoming increasingly interested in the delectable offerings of these fine establishments.

Under the direction of executive chefs Jean-Pierre Curtat at the Casino de Montréal and Denis Girard at the Casino du Lac-Leamy, the casinos' restaurants attach special importance to using seasonal products from Québec whenever possible.

The Restaurants

• Over 1,065 people work in the restaurants and bars managed by the SCQ.
• More than $55.3 million was spent acquiring supplies of all kinds.
• $13.3 million in foodstuffs were purchased for these establishments.

Québec's three casinos have grown considerably over the years, and today, they welcome over 10 million visitors each year.

In December 1992, the Québec cabinet approved and authorized the construction of two government-run casinos: one on Île Notre-Dame, in Montréal, and the other at Pointe-au-Pic in the Charlevoix region.

The creation and management of these government-run casinos was entrusted to Loto-Québec, which subsequently created three subsidiaries: the Société des casinos du Québec, given the responsibility of building the casinos and overseeing their operation, Resto-Casino, which operates the restaurants and bars at the three casinos, and Casiloc, which is in charge of acquiring, building and overseeing the casino facilities.

In June 2008, Québec’s Casinos decided to merge the management operations of Resto-Casino with those of the casinos themselves. The objective was twofold: to align the business plan objectives and strategies for all the establishments, and to increase the synergy and complementarity of the group’s casino, food service and hotel operations.

History of the Casino de Montréal

Located in the former Expo'67 French Pavilion (Pavillon de la France), the Casino de Montréal was inaugurated on October 9, 1993. At the time, it housed 65 gaming tables and 1,200 slot machines. The casino was an instant success, with average daily visitor numbers reaching the 12,000 mark.

The casino was expanded for the first time in 1994 and again in 1996, when it took over the former Québec Pavilion.

Among the world's largest casinos, the Casino de Montréal provides five floors of gaming, each more exciting than the last, and is one of the city's star attractions.

The Casino de Montréal features:

• more than 115 gaming tables and 3,052 slot machines and 25 electronic Texas Hold'em poker tables
• four restaurants
• a performance hall, Le Cabaret, which was inaugurated in 1996
• two elegant reception halls

Since 1997, the casino has been open day and night, and currently welcomes some 18,000 visitors a day.

In 2003, the Casino de Montréal celebrated its 10th anniversary. Have a look at our Photo Album (HTML, FLASH), a retrospective of the milestones in the casino's history.

History of the Casino du Lac-Leamy

The Casino du Lac-Leamy was the first of Québec's casinos to be built from the ground up. It was inaugurated on March 24, 1996.

During the 2000-2001 fiscal year, the Société des casinos du Québec launched a major $210 million expansion project with the aim of expanding the casino, building a 350-room luxury hotel (the Hilton Lac-Leamy), conference centre and performance hall, and creating a golf course. The Hilton Lac-Leamy hotel and Le Théâtre du Casino opened their doors in the fall of 2001.

The casino houses close to 60 gaming tables and more than 1,900 slot machines and 12 electronic Texas Hold'em poker tables, as well as three restaurants, two bars and two reception halls.

History of the Casino de Charlevoix

Inaugurated on June 24, 1994, the Casino de Charlevoix was established in the Manoir Richelieu's former summer playhouse on the cliffs of Pointe-au-Pic, a panoramic site visited by vacationers for over a century.

The Casino de Charlevoix quickly became a veritable economic driver for the region and one of Charlevoix's biggest attractions.

In 1998, Loto-Québec teamed up with Canadian Pacific Hotels and the Solidarity Fund QFL to acquire Manoir Richelieu (now called Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu), renovate it and expand the Casino de Charlevoix. Reopening in June 1999, the complex has since become a world-class resort. The Casino de Charlevoix also became the first of Québec's casinos to be linked to a hotel.

The Casino de Charlevoix houses more than 20 gaming tables and 850 slot machines and 5 electronic Texas Hold'em poker tables, two bars and a scenic view of the Saint Lawrence River.

On April 13, 2008, Raymond Bachand, Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade and Minister of Tourism, along with Chairman and CEO of Loto-Québec Alain Cousineau, officially announced plans for the creation of the Casino de Mont Tremblant.

Appointment

Daniel Bissonnette was named General Manager of the Casino de Mont-Tremblant.

Currently General Manager of the Casino de Montréal, Mr. Bissonnette brings over 25 years of management experience to this new role. He will continue to manage both establishments. Mrs Santa Di Stefano becomes director of operation and will assist Mr. Bissonnette.

Opening Date

The Casino de Mont-Tremblant is scheduled to open in summer 2009.

Recruiting

As of September 2008, you can visit the Careers section regularly to see what job opportunities are available. In fact, you can get a head start by creating your candidate profile right now.

Description of the Casino

The Casino de Mont-Tremblant will attract resort enthusiasts, business travellers and vacationers alike with its:

• 400 slot machines
• 15 to 20 gaming tables with croupiers
• 5 electronic Texas Hold’em poker terminals

For more information, refer to the fact sheet [[PDF Format, 42 KB - Help]

Casino layout

The construction plans and interior design for the casino have not yet been finalized. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.

Suppliers

Calls for tenders are always posted on Loto-Québec’s Web site, so please visit the Suppliers section regularly.

We invite you to explore the current employment opportunities with the Société des casinos du Québec, Québec's three casinos and the Hilton Lac-Leamy hotel.

To view the positions currently posted on the job board, apply for a position or obtain an application form, please visit the Careers section of Loto-Québec's Web site.

Becoming a croupier at the Casino

Candidates selected to become croupiers at Québec's casinos are trained exclusively by the Société des casinos du Québec. Training sessions take place several times a year. Interested applicants are asked to contact the Human Resources departments of the casinos.