Canada’s national telecom regulator says Quebec’s plan to block unauthorized online gambling sites is illegal.

Late Thursday, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) released a statement commenting on the application filed in July by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) asking the regulator to formally repudiate Quebec’s IP-blocking plans.

In May, the Quebec legislature approved Bill 74, the omnibus legislation that would compel internet service providers (ISP) to block online gambling sites not specifically approved by the Loto-Quebec gambling monopoly to operate in the province.

Bill 74 sparked countless op-eds arguing that Quebec’s plan was unconstitutional, as telecom issues are considered to be under the federal government’s jurisdiction. Associations representing telecom firms launched a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Quebec arguing that they would be forced to bear the entire financial burden of blocking unauthorized sites.