Albania has completed the regulatory framework for the return of online sports betting, seven years after a blanket ban pushed much of the market underground. Licensing has not started. The regulator intends to issue up to 10 online licences, with the final count left to the Licensing Commission. Betting shops and slot halls stay banned, and casinos remain confined to certain five-star hotels.
The Finance Ministry says the system is ready. The commission has not yet announced the tender; once the terms are approved, the authorities must publish the call within seven days, including in two international publications. Endri Meksi, a businessman, warned that limiting the field to one or three licensees would hand the market to a monopoly or an oligopoly.
What operators must show
Applicants need an Albanian joint-stock company, experience in at least three EU or OECD countries, annual turnover of at least 2 billion lek ($250 million), charter capital of at least 40 million lek ($0.5 million) and a 120 million lek ($1.5 million) guarantee. A licence costs at least 400 million lek ($5 million) for 10 years. Operators pay 15% of GGR into a special culture and sports fund, on top of 15% corporate tax and local fees.
The market behind the ban
The government expects around 2 billion lek ($250 million) in annual receipts. Meksi estimates the illegal betting market turns over €2.5 billion ($2.9 billion) a year. Gambling Compliance International put illegal online sports betting GGR at $126 million in 2025 and all illegal online gambling at $229 million. The 2019 ban did not close the market: turnover before it reached €700 million ($811 million) across more than 4,000 shops serving 2.8 million people. Prime Minister Edi Rama acknowledged in 2022 that online betting stayed widespread.
Under the new regime players register with a passport, cash is barred and payments run through Albanian banks. Operators must keep player data for at least three years and connect to the national self-exclusion register. Psychiatrist Neli Demi said help for gambling addiction exists but is fragmented and insufficient, with no specialised treatment centres.
