Albania Prepares to Reopen Its Online Sports Betting Market
Albania.- 18 August 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com Albania is moving towards a partial reopening of sports betting after seven years of prohibition, with a new framework designed exclusively for online operators.
The regime will allow up to 10 licensees, although the final number will be determined by the Licensing Commission when the competitive process begins.
End of a Seven-Year Ban
Sports betting, betting shops, slot halls and all online gambling verticals have been prohibited in Albania since 2019.
However, the ban failed to eliminate the activity.
Estimates cited for 2025 put unregulated online sports betting GGR at approximately US$126 million.
When online casino and poker are included, total unregulated online GGR is estimated to have reached around US$229 million.
Online-Only Market
The reopening will not mark the return of retail betting shops.
Only online sports betting will be permitted, while brick-and-mortar betting and slot halls will remain prohibited.
Land-based casinos will continue to be restricted to selected premises within five-star hotels.
The digital-only structure is also expected to give authorities greater traceability and oversight.
Licensing Requirements
Operators seeking entry will face significant conditions.
Key requirements include:
- Registration as an Albanian joint-stock company.
- Gambling experience across at least three EU or OECD markets.
- Minimum turnover of ALL2 billion (€20 million) in the previous financial year.
- Minimum share capital of ALL40 million (€400,000).
Licences will run for 10 years.
Competitive Award Process
Licences will be allocated through a points-based system.
Up to 30 points will be awarded for the licence-fee bid, while another 30 will depend on gambling-sector experience.
A further 20 points will be available for governance and organisation, 15 for technology and software and five for a three-year business plan.
The minimum licence fee will be ALL400 million (€4 million), payable in instalments over the 10-year term.
Advantage for International Operators
The entry criteria appear particularly favourable to established international companies with experience in regulated markets.
Turnover, capital, international experience and technology requirements may significantly limit participation by domestic businesses.
Once the Licensing Commission formally launches the process, the call for applications must also be published in two international newspapers.
Taxation
Operators will pay a contribution equal to 15% of GGR into a special fund supporting culture, sport, technology and innovation.
This will be in addition to Albania’s standard 15% corporation tax, local taxes and the licence fee.
The government forecasts that the new regime could generate approximately ALL2 billion (€20 million) in public revenue each year.
Player Protection and Oversight
Players will be required to register online using a national identity card.
Cash betting will be prohibited, while payments must be processed through Albanian banks, licensed electronic-money institutions or authorised payment providers.
Operators will have to retain player and transaction records for at least three years and enforce the national self-exclusion register.
They must also inform customers about gambling risks, winning probabilities and available support resources.
Enforcement
The new framework includes specific procedures for licence suspension and revocation.
An operator that breaches licensing rules twice within a three-year period may face suspension for between 30 days and two years.
A third violation can result in licence revocation.
Next Steps or Impact
Albania has now finalised all eight implementing regulations required for the new market, although no confirmed date has yet been announced for the licensing process.
It also remains unclear how many of the possible 10 licences will be issued initially.
The reopening represents an attempt to move betting activity from the black market into a regulated, taxable and fully digital environment, under conditions likely to appeal particularly to larger international operators.
Editó: @fonta
