Lifting of ban on sports betting postponed in Albania

In Albania, the lifting of the ban on sports betting has been postponed. Recently, at a plenary meeting of the Assembly, the bill on the return of sports betting was removed from the agenda at the request of the parliamentary faction of the Socialist Party.

The document was prepared by the country's Ministry of Economy. According to its contents, it was proposed to issue ten bookmaker licenses in the country. The tax rate on operator income was planned to be set at 15%.

Let us recall that gambling was prohibited in Albania on January 1, 2019 by decree of the country’s former President Ilira Meta. Around 4,300 bookmaker betting outlets have closed across the country. Online gambling was also banned. The exception was a few casinos that received licenses.

The introduction of the ban led to an increase in the number of illegal bookmakers and gambling halls.