Albania legalizes online sports betting, overturning 2018 ban

Albania’s parliament has voted to allow online gambling once again, overturning a complete ban imposed in 2018. The new law says that only 10 companies will have a license for sports betting, and it will be legal only in the online form. The ten companies will be selected by a special “Commission of Licenses” and must fulfill several criteria.

“On-line sports bets are bets placed on dedicated, authorized and monitorable websites, applications or electronic platforms of licensed entities, in accordance with the provisions of this law, for sports events and/or sports games … and do not include track races,” the new law specifies. “The Licensing Commission designs and proposes programs dedicated to the protection of the players, which are approved by joint instruction of the minister responsible for finance and the minister responsible for social affairs,” it adds.

The law was passed in a tense situation in parliament. Opposition MPs protested against it and the session only lasted for several minutes.

“Unfortunately 72 MPs voted today for the ‘The Resumption of Stupidity’, a law that restores ‘Death’, according to [PM Edi] Rama in 2015, the influence of crime in sports betting and the social drama of people who have addictions,” Rigels Xhemollari, from the Tirana-based Qendresa Qytetare (Citizens’ Resistance) organisation, wrote.

After banning it in 2018, Prime Minister Edi Rama in September 2022 suggested its return, but this was received with criticism from experts and the opposition. Rama said gambling activity had continued despite the ban his own party had imposed a few years back.

Albania banned gambling in 2018 on the initiative of the governing Socialist Party. The industry had become huge and it was alleged that many gambling businesses were linked to criminal groups. The ban was implemented on January 1, 2019, after which only one casino was allowed to operate.

But, during a public hearing with sports federations in 2022, Rama said that according to consultations he had made, it was almost impossible to curb online gambling. “This also makes me inclined to be open to this solution, because it is a pity for this activity to be carried out by people who break the law and where high-profile elements in organised crime are active and making completely unreasonable profits,” Rama said.

The government targeted the illegal gambling market through an operation called  “End of the Madness“ in 2013, and in 2015, passed a law intended to reduce this activity. However, gambling flourished even more after the adoption of the new law, which prompted the government to impose a complete ban in 2018.