Loto-Quebec Announces Canadian Poker Network

GTECH G2 and Loto-Quebec have combined to launch the Canadian Poker Network (CPN), the first regulated online poker network based in the United States. The network will only be available to residents of Quebec, Canada, and will be accessed through Loto-Quebec’s Espacejeux.com website.

CPN will feature eight different kinds of poker, including Texas Hold’em. One unique – but appropriate – game that will see inclusion is Canadian Stud, also known as Soko. This variant of Five Card Stud is played exactly like the classic game, but adds a couple more hands to the hand rankings – a four-card flush and four-card straight. These hands rank below two pair, but above a pair.

CPN is the newest addition to Espacejeux.com, which opened on November 19 and started taking real money bets from players on December 1. It offers a wide selection of casino games, and is available in French and English.

"This is a major milestone for the lottery and iGaming industries," said GTECH G2 President Paolo Personeni. "We're very proud to be involved with such a highly-regarded WLA member in establishing the first regulated poker network in North America."

The Canadian Poker Network may be the first regulated online poker network in North America, but it is unlikely to be the last – and company might arrive soon. New Jersey is very close to implementing legal online poker, and California has two different bills under consideration. Like the CPN, which is available only in the province of Quebec, these networks would operate only intrastate. A federal bill to regulate online poker in the United States is making the rounds in Washington D.C., but seems unlikely to pass before the end of the year.

The contract between GTECH G2 and Loto-Quebec will be in effect for five years, with two options for two-year extensions. Online poker has the potential to be very lucrative for Quebec, especially after French-Canadian Quebecer Jonathan Duhamel won the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event last month.