Albania will license up to 10 online betting operators after a seven-year ban that failed to stamp out the market. Sports betting has been prohibited since 2019, yet the underground market generated $126m in GGR last year.
The regulator completed eight implementation documents in July 2026, but no launch date has been set. The government expects around €20m in annual revenue: 15% of GGR will flow to a dedicated fund for culture, sport and technology, plus the standard 15% corporate tax.
Retail betting stays banned. Only online operators will be allowed, and the barriers are high. Applicants must incorporate as an Albanian joint-stock company, show experience in three EU or OECD markets, report at least €20m in turnover for the last year, and hold €400,000 in share capital. The minimum licence cost is €4m, payable in instalments over 10 years. Licences are awarded on a points system: 30 points for bid size, 30 for experience, 20 for corporate governance, 15 for technology.
Players must register with a national ID. Cash is banned; all payments go through Albanian banks or licensed payment institutions. Operators must store data for three years and connect to the self-exclusion register. Close relatives can block a player's access to betting.
Hendri Hanaj of Hashtag Lawyers believes the ban dampened demand. 'People will bet, but probably not as heavily as before.' In 2018, the market turned over €700m through 4,000 retail outlets serving 2.8 million people. The population has since fallen to 2.75 million. Still, the low incremental cost of launching an Albanian site may draw major international operators.
