Albania is moving closer to reopening its regulated sports betting market, with a new licensing framework allowing a maximum of 10 operators to offer wagers online. The planned return follows a prohibition introduced in 2019 that removed betting shops, slot halls and online gambling from the legal market.
The ban did not eliminate betting activity. Estimates place unregulated online sports betting gross gaming revenue at $117 million in 2024 and $126 million in 2025. When online casino and poker activity is included, estimated unregulated online GGR reached $229 million last year.
Albania had a sizeable retail betting industry before prohibition. In 2018, when parliament approved the ban, annual sports betting turnover stood at €700 million, while approximately 4,000 betting shops operated in a country with slightly more than 2.8 million residents.
“There were a lot of betting offices in Albania – everywhere, near schools and in local neighbourhoods,” explains Hendri Hanaj, founder and partner at commercial law firm Hashtag Lawyers. “The government was forced to do something because it was getting out of control.”
Small wagers had also become common across a broad section of the population.
“Everyone was betting,” he says. “Not hundreds or thousands of euros, but everyone was betting in small amounts.”
Concerns surrounding gambling addiction and the impact on lower-income households contributed to the government’s decision. Prime Minister Edi Rama also raised questions about sports integrity and alleged links between some betting businesses and organised crime.
“We are waging a frontal war with the evil entrenched deeply in our society over the years,” he told parliament in October 2018, ahead of the vote to ban betting.
Online-Only Model Replaces the Former Retail Market
Legal sports betting will return in digital form under the new system. Betting shops and slot halls will remain prohibited, while casinos will continue to operate only at a limited number of five-star hotels.
The government began reconsidering its approach after betting continued through unregulated online channels. Rama acknowledged the scale of that activity in 2022.
“We are talking about taking this activity out of the black economy and bringing the profits into the light, because nobody can block it – not even China,” Rama said at the time.
Parliament approved legislation for the partial reopening in 2024. The government subsequently developed the implementing rules, and authorities said in July 2026 that all eight regulations required for the framework had been completed.
The Albanian Council of Ministers adopted Decision No. 194 on March 26, 2026, establishing the competitive procedure for online sports betting licences. The measure entered into force on March 30 following publication in the Official Gazette. The Gambling Supervisory Authority will administer the single-stage process together with the Licensing Commission.
The commission will determine how many licences to award in each round, subject to the nationwide maximum of 10. Applicants will receive 45 calendar days from the date specified in the competition notice to submit their documentation and must pay a non-refundable application fee of ALL500,000, approximately €5,100.
Applicants Face Detailed Licensing Requirements
Companies seeking entry must register as Albanian joint-stock companies. Eligible businesses must demonstrate gambling experience in at least three EU or OECD markets and show turnover of at least ALL2 billion, approximately €20 million, during the previous financial year. They must also hold at least ALL40 million, or approximately €400,000, in share capital.
The authorities will rank applicants through a 100-point system. The economic offer for the licence can generate up to 30 points, while gambling-sector experience carries another 30. Organisational and administrative capacity accounts for 20 points. Technology and software capabilities carry 15 points, with the remaining five available for a business plan covering at least three years.
If two applicants finish with equal scores, the Licensing Commission will determine their ranking through a lottery. The commission must notify participants beforehand, although an applicant’s absence will not invalidate the procedure.
The licence fee will depend on bids submitted during the competition, with a minimum of ALL400 million, approximately €4 million. Operators will pay the amount in instalments over the 10-year licence period. The licensing call must appear domestically and in international media, including two international newspapers.
“There are a lot of conditions to get the licence and no Albanian company, at least, would be able to meet them – or at least none that are interested in betting,” Hanaj explains, as reported by iGaming Business. “It’s not that Albanian companies are not capable – of course they are capable of being compliant. I think the government is looking for companies that have been doing this for many years, which would be better for the market.”
Controls Focus on Digital Payments and Player Records
The online structure will give authorities greater visibility over betting transactions. Players will have to register using a national identity card, while cash wagering will remain prohibited. Payments must pass through Albanian banks, licensed electronic money institutions or approved payment providers.
Operators will have to monitor transactions and retain player records for a minimum of three years. They must also apply Albania’s national self-exclusion register. Reports indicate that family members will be able to request the exclusion of a relative from gambling.
Licence holders will also need to provide information about gambling risks and winning probabilities and direct customers toward support services. Albania currently has no dedicated gambling counselling or rehabilitation centre.
Rules finalised in June set penalties for repeated licensing violations. Two breaches within three years can lead to a suspension lasting between 30 days and two years, during which the operator cannot accept bets. Authorities can revoke the licence following a third violation.
Licensed operators will direct 15% of GGR into a special fund for culture, sport, technology and innovation. They will also face Albania’s standard 15% corporation tax along with local taxes and licensing costs. The government estimates that the regulated market could generate about ALL2 billion, or €20 million, in annual public revenue.
Questions remain over the timing of the first licensing round and how many of the available licences the commission will initially award. The size of future regulated demand also remains uncertain after seven years of prohibition.
“There is an appetite for sports, but it has faded over time,” Hanaj says. “People like my father, or my cousins who are older than me, like sports more. Of course, people will bet, but I don’t think it will be as massive as before.”
Hanaj also said the digital structure would be “easier for the government to monitor and control”.
Albania’s population has declined from around 2.8 million in 2018 to approximately 2.75 million. Hanaj suggested the combination of manageable licensing costs and relatively low incremental expenses could still make the market viable for established international operators.
“There are around 12 banks in Albania and I don’t think the market supports that,” Hanaj points out. “But they are still here and still working.”