Albania Gambles on Re-Legalising ‘Dangerous’ Online Sports Betting

When the Albanian government finalised its ban on gambling in 2019, the official narrative promised to uproot a social scourge that had spread to almost every street corner in Albania. At the time, there was hardly a neighbourhood without two or three betting shops. Street betting shops and online gambling were banned, while casinos were restricted to certain upscale hotels. Seven years later, the Albanian government is preparing to legalise online sports betting once again, although it had continued operating informally despite the ban. Following the adoption of the law by parliament to re-legalise in 2024, the Ministry of Finance told BIRN that all secondary legislation has now been approved and that the regulatory framework is considered complete. “The system is legally ready, but the licensing process has not yet officially opened,” the ministry said in a written response. Subscribe to Balkan Insight Premium to read the full article. Please login to your account below if you are already a Premium Subscriber. Buy Premium Subscription Our Premium Service gives you full access to all content published on BalkanInsight.com, including analyses, investigations, comments, interviews and more. Choose your subscription today and get unparalleled in-depth coverage of the Southern and Eastern Europe. Buy Premium Subscription If you have trouble logging in or any other questions regarding you account, please contact us