Albania is lifting its ban on sports betting after a five-year hiatus caused by a 2018 ruling that removed it from the market.
Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Socialist Party introduced a ban on regulated gambling, except for state-approved casinos, five years ago in a bid to combat organized crime in Albania.
In 2022, Rama began to backtrack on the decision and announced that the government was preparing to lift the ban. This comes as statistics have shown that criminal gangs continue to thrive, with underground gambling posing a greater threat to the economy than ever before.
During public hearings with Albanian sports federations in 2022, Rama stated the following: “It is a pity for this activity to be carried out by people who break the law and where high-profile elements in organized crime are active and making completely unreasonable profits”.
The new resolution to lift the betting ban has received significant support from the Albanian Parliament. The changes only allow online sports betting, subjecting it to the control of 10 companies regulated by the Licensing Commission.
According to the new law, online sports betting is only allowed on specialized, authorized and controlled websites, applications or electronic platforms licensed in accordance with the provisions of the law, excluding track racing.
“The Licensing Commission develops and proposes programs dedicated to the protection of players, which are approved by a joint order of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Social Affairs”.
Despite the majority victory, the vote faced strong opposition. The director of the civil defense group Civil Resistance, Rigels Xhemollari, based in Tirana, called the move “stupid.”
“Unfortunately, 72 MPs voted today for ‘the resumption of stupidity’, a law that restores ‘Death’, the influence of crime in sports betting and the social drama of people who have addictions,” Xhemollari said.
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