Rimouski gaming hall opening pushed to 2027 as construction continues
Loto-Québec has confirmed that the Salon de jeux de Rimouski will open in 2027 rather than in 2026, as first planned. The update came in reports published by Radio-Canada on October 19, 2026, and by the Rimouski outlet Le Soir the following day.
The gaming hall is under construction on the grounds of the Hôtel Rimouski, a property owned by Groupe Blouin. The owner said in writing that obtaining certain permits had delayed the start of work, although the site has progressed normally since. No precise opening date was given, and the Crown corporation is still reviewing bids from private firms to staff and run the hall.
Why the Rimouski timeline slipped
When Loto-Québec presented the project in November 2024, it targeted an opening in 2026. Its press release of November 20, 2024 said the hall was expected to open within 18 months.
According to Radio-Canada, Groupe Blouin attributed the setback to the time needed to obtain certain permits, which pushed back the start of construction. Le Soir reported that the original plan had the building ready in the fall of 2026, but delays that built up on the site moved delivery to March.
The project has also changed shape since it was first announced. Valued at $15 million, the hall was originally meant to occupy the former ballroom of the Hôtel Rimouski. It was later moved to a new section being built on the hotel’s parking lot, after the plans to expand and modernize the convention centre were revised, according to Le Soir.
Loto-Québec is not responsible for building the hall and will be a tenant of the space, spokesperson Renaud Dugas told Le Soir.
What follows the March handover
Loto-Québec and Groupe Blouin both indicated to Radio-Canada that the premises are expected to be delivered in March. After that, Loto-Québec said it will need several weeks to fit out the space and install its equipment.
Dugas told Le Soir that the Crown corporation would announce an opening date as soon as it was in a position to do so. The regional outlet Info-web described the fit-out stage more cautiously, writing that it could stretch over several months once the building is handed over in the first months of 2027.
None of the October 2026 reports carried a confirmed opening date.
Loto-Québec’s page for the venue lists a poker room, table games, an electronic and interactive gaming zone and slot machines, along with a bar and live shows. The hall’s location next to the convention centre is presented as a place to extend business meetings.
Private firm to run the gaming floor
The same reports confirmed that the hall will be run by a private company rather than by Loto-Québec employees. Loto-Québec launched a call for proposals in September, and the bids it received were still under analysis when the reports were published.
Under the call for proposals, Loto-Québec will pay the selected firm a monthly royalty of 35% of net revenue from traditional table games.
Dugas said the Crown corporation will work with an outsourcing contractor to hire and manage staff, describing it as the most efficient model and one that has proven itself. He added that every employee in its establishments is trained in responsible marketing. The call for proposals also states that several prevention and control measures will be put in place to encourage responsible gambling, which it calls a fundamental pillar of operations.
The arrangement mirrors the gaming halls in Québec City and Trois-Rivières, where staff are hired externally, unlike Loto-Québec’s casinos, whose workers are employees of the Crown corporation. Rimouski will be the third such hall in the province. Radio-Canada reported that the venue will create more than a hundred direct and indirect jobs, while Le Soir put the figure at about 135 jobs once it is in operation. Dugas also said further tenders for other services linked to the hall will be launched.
