Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux

What Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux does

The Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) is a regulatory agency of the Government of Quebec with exclusive statutory jurisdiction over four industry verticals within the province: alcoholic beverages, horse racing, gaming (bingo, lotteries, video lottery terminals, charity casinos, amusement devices), and professional combat sports. RACJ's core function is the issuance, renewal, and enforcement of permits and licenses — including an extensive taxonomy of artisan-production permits (wine, cider, mead, mistelle, liqueur, maple-based beverages, small-fruit/rhubarb beverages, and spirits) with tiered agricultural input requirements. The agency also conducts compliance inspections, operates the Tribunal administratif for appeals and dispute resolution, maintains public registries of license holders (published on Données Québec in Excel/CSV/JSON, updated monthly), and investigates integrity matters such as lottery draws. RACJ works in formal partnership with the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) for product analysis, SAQ-stamp marking, laboratory testing, and artisan-producer distribution, and with Loto-Québec for video lottery terminal oversight and manufacturer licensing.

RACJ's business model is non-commercial: it is funded through Quebec government appropriations rather than market revenue, and the fees it collects (e.g., $335 permit transfer, $447 annual artisan-production rights, $169–$529 event/operator authorizations, $35 NSF) offset administrative costs rather than generate profit. Distribution is delivered through two physical offices (Quebec City headquarters at 200 chemin Sainte-Foy and Montreal at 1 rue Notre-Dame Est), mail-in submissions, and electronic application forms on its government website (racj.gouv.qc.ca). The agency does not maintain a public API, mobile app, or third-party developer integrations. Customers are the regulated population — Quebec-based manufacturers, sellers, servers, track operators, bettors, gaming suppliers, and combat-sports organizers who must hold a RACJ permit or license to operate legally — served across a horizontal segmentation model spanning all five use-case segments with no concentration in any single vertical.

Name

Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux

Legal name

Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux

Website

https://racj.gouv.qc.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) is a Quebec government regulatory agency that issues permits and licenses for alcoholic beverages, horse racing, gaming, and professional combat sports, while conducting inspections, enforcing compliance, and operating an administrative tribunal for appeals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Regulatory Services

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Investigations, Enforcement Response & Legal Representation (MPAEAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional Sport Governing Bodies & League Sanctioning Authorities (MPAKAFAE)

Keywords

• Alcohol beverage licensing
• Gaming regulation
• Horse racing oversight
• Combat sports permitting
• Government regulatory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Québec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) is a Quebec provincial government regulatory body that issues permits and licenses, conducts inspections, and operates an administrative tribunal across four regulated sectors: alcoholic beverages, horse racing, gaming, and professional combat sports. It serves as the single point of regulatory authority for these activities within the province of Quebec.

Product overview

Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) is a Quebec government regulatory body that does not offer a commercial product in the traditional sense. It administers regulatory permits and licenses across four sectors: Alcohol (permits for selling, serving, and manufacturing alcoholic beverages including artisan production permits for wine, cider, mead, mistelle, liqueur, maple-based beverages, small fruits/rhubarb beverages, and spirits), Games (licenses for bingo, lotteries, video lottery terminals, and electronic systems), Horse Racing (licenses for tracks, drivers, trainers, and officials), and Professional Combat Sports (permits for organizers, competitors, and officials). RACJ also operates an administrative tribunal for appeals and provides public registries of licensees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alcoholic beverage permits and licenses
• Gaming permits and licenses
• Horse racing permits and licenses
• Professional combat sports permits
• Administrative tribunal decisions
• Compliance inspections

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAQ is Quebec's provincial alcohol distributor. The RACJ works with SAQ for product analysis of artisanal alcoholic beverages, SAQ stamps for product marking, and SAQ serves as a distribution channel for artisanal producers. SAQ also provides laboratory services for quality testing of alcoholic beverages.
• Loto-QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoto-Québec is Quebec's state-owned lottery corporation. The RACJ regulates video lottery machines and gaming activities, with Loto-Québec being a key stakeholder in the gaming sector.
• Loto-QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVideo lottery machine manufacturers must sell their products to Loto-Québec. The RACJ regulates manufacturers of video lottery machines and requires transport authorization for delivering machines to Quebec.

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ): Quebec's provincial alcohol distributor and RACJ's core strategic partner. Operationally intertwined through quality testing and product marking, but functions as a distributor/retailer rather than a regulator.
• Loto-Québec: Quebec's state-owned lottery and gaming operator, simultaneously a regulated entity under RACJ and a key operational partner, especially in video lottery terminal manufacturer regulation.

Direct peers

• Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries: Manitoba's Crown corporation overseeing liquor distribution and lottery/gaming operations with regulatory functions analogous to RACJ's combined alcohol and gaming remit.
• Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC): Alberta's provincial regulator overseeing gaming, liquor, and cannabis licensing with a mandate closely paralleling RACJ's alcohol and gaming responsibilities.
• Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA): Saskatchewan's combined liquor, gaming, and cannabis authority, structurally similar to RACJ in consolidating multiple regulatory mandates under one provincial body.
• British Columbia Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch: British Columbia's provincial regulator for liquor and cannabis, with licensing and compliance functions comparable to RACJ's alcohol sector oversight.
• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO): Ontario's provincial regulator for alcohol, gaming, and horse racing. The closest functional peer to RACJ, exercising combined alcohol/gaming/racing regulatory authority within a single provincial jurisdiction.

Regional players

• Atlantic Lottery Corporation: Regional gaming operator across Atlantic Canadian provinces, comparable to Loto-Québec in role but operating in a different provincial/regional footprint than RACJ's jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux