Albania’s parliament planned to vote to lift a five-year ban on online sports betting, acknowledging insufficient controls over illegal activities. The Chairman of the Socialist Party, Bledi Cuci, unexpectedly withdrew the said bill without explanation, which was supposed to be put to a vote on February 8, 2024 at the plenary session.
“At the request of the Socialist Party, it was requested to withdraw from the discussion of the draft law on gambling,” the Speaker of the Parliament, Lindita Nikolla, stated. “It was approved with 74 votes in favor”.
However, the law to allow online betting in Albania will be returned to parliament for a vote. After refusing to vote at the session, the Socialist Party faction decided to amend at least two of the 33 articles.
Proposed amendments in the revised draft include a requirement for foreign shareholders to own at least 30% of the shares of competing companies and/or organizations, as well as an obligation to have significant experience in the gambling sector for at least three years in three European countries.
In addition, adjustments were made to the recovery fund, increasing the initial allocation by 20 million lek, reaching a minimum of 40 million lek. Regulations have also been introduced to limit the influence of betting operators, including a ban on sponsoring sports clubs. The President of the National Football Federation and the President of the Olympic Committee were excluded from the Licensing Commission.
Also, the proposed legislation attempts to strengthen oversight through a new clause mandating government control over the activities of concession companies responsible for creating and maintaining a central online monitoring system. The Licensing Commission will exercise this oversight through regular inspections.
Finally, changes were made to the clauses on the winning percentage of players in the national lotteries, reducing it from 80% to “at least 50%.”
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