Albania Overturns Ban on Online Sports Betting

However, the newly revised law stipulates that only ten companies will be granted licenses for online sports betting, with no provisions for operators to move into retail sports betting. Selection for these licenses will be overseen by a specially established “Commission of Licenses,” with stringent criteria for eligibility.

The specifics of the law states that

The law excludes track races while also mandates the Licensing Commission to develop player protection programs, subject to approval by ministers.

Prime Minister Rama’s initial suggestion to reintroduce online gambling in September 2022 faced criticism from experts and political adversaries alike. Rama attributed his shift in stance to the persistence of gambling activities despite the ban enforced by his own party.

The ban on gambling in 2018, spearheaded by the Socialist Party, aimed to sever alleged ties between the industry and criminal syndicates. However, the subsequent surge in illegal gambling prompted the complete ban which came into effect on January 1st, 2019. Previous government efforts, such as the 2013 “End of the Madness” operation and subsequent legislative measures in 2015, failed to restrict the illegal gambling market.

There have been no indications which sports betting operators will enter the Albanian market.

Thomas Nielsen

Gambling industry journalist with a background in online poker and trading. Covering the regulated U.S Sports industry and the exciting world of online poker.