Albania to legalize sports betting after four-year prohibition

According to local reports, Albania will reintroduce legal sports betting. The measure is set to be implemented on January 1, 2023, four years after sports wagering, casinos, and online gambling were made illegal. The move is expected to provide revenue for the government, which currently faces a debt of over 90%, increasing pressure to subsidize rising energy costs and calls to support the vulnerable amid the global crisis.

The measure, which has been on the cards since the summer, is set to be effective at the start of the next year. Experts on the matter estimate that some €17 million ($16.9 million) will be collected in tax each year.

Except for a selected group of licensed casinos, as of December 31, 2018, all gambling was prohibited. At the time, hundreds of betting shops and gambling sites were shut down, and efforts were made to block online sites. Nevertheless, the activity continued in the country in illegal betting and gambling shops, leading to arrests occurring almost on a weekly basis.

In August, a coalition of sporting stakeholders petitioned the government to ask for the restitution of regulated and supervised sports betting, arguing it can bring much-needed revenue to one of Europe's poorest countries. "We are not proposing to open the entire range of gambling, including electronic casinos or bingo halls. Our proposal includes total fiscal transparency, league-regulated online sports betting," the petition stated, as reported by Euractiv.

Furthermore, stakeholders suggest that revenue generated from sports betting be used to support the country’s athletes, specifying that betting should be allowed via certified operators, including local and international brands. They also recommend the implementation of an age limit and a maximum bet limit.

"The regulation of sports betting by law is a practice followed by many Western countries. In these countries, the income from sports betting is used to develop sports and sports infrastructure and to support the youth," they argued, as reported by the above-mentioned media.

Prime Minister Edi Rama commented on the push stating that if the decision goes ahead, a number of conditions will be imposed, and all revenue will go to sports, culture, and youth. "We will look at this very positively; we will set extreme conditions…these are guaranteed by large international companies, which operate worldwide and operate in the European Union area," Rama stated.

"I have been obvious that these revenues, which we calculate to be many times more than what we contribute every year, go to sports, culture, and youth, but very clearly and dedicatedly, the lion’s share, the sport will take it," the Prime Minister further commented.

The signatories commented that the decision to close betting shops years ago was correct as there were too many establishments across the country. However, they note that sports betting continues informally, and the proceeds end up financing crime, thus calling for the regulation of the activity.

The Commanding Director of the State Police, Tonin Vocaj, who took over the position in September, voiced support just hours after taking over the role. "We suggest revising the gambling law for the formalization of online sports betting also because this activity is legal in other countries. Games of chance like casinos should not be allowed," Vocaj said.