Find the Best Bookmakers in Albania 2023 🇦🇱

Betting on sports in Albania

Other accepted gambling activities in the country include the nation's lottery and televised bingo. However, the country does not regulate online sportsbooks, and citizens turn to international online betting sites to wager on high-profile sports competitions.

In June 2022, representatives of the country's sports leagues and Olympic committee met with government officials about developing a formal digital gambling infrastructure for sports. Albania is considering the proposal and continues to meet with internal and external stakeholders about digital sports betting. Let's explore Albania's gambling landscape.

History of Sports Betting in Albania

Sports betting in Albania is evolving. A near blanket ban prevents gambling in residential neighborhoods, and locals must access the internet to wager on sports via the web. Once a vibrant sector in the country's economy, the expansive growth is only rivaled by its quick demise. The government clamped down on gambling to prevent the prevalent rise of social ills, which impacted families and youths.

High addiction rates and other problems caused Albania to reevaluate the benefits of increasing income from gambling tax revenues. In a complete reversal, the government instituted a ban across the country with few exceptions. These new gambling laws are in place to protect Albanian citizens from the social dangers associated with excessive gambling.

Sports Betting Nowadays in Albania

Sports betting in Albania is relegated to tourists' destinations and hotels, which prevents locals from frequenting these licensed establishments. Ramping up efforts to attract foreign visitors, the country is working to attract tourists from across the globe. In a best-case scenario, administrators hope to make up the revenue by turning Albania into a popular sports betting vacation destination.

Future of Sports Betting in Albania

As the gambling market in Albania suffers, the government protects its vibrant landscapes, fascinating culture, and socioeconomic structure. Meanwhile, gambling enthusiasts with internet access are free to visit international sportsbooks to wager on sports via the web.

Offering attractive incentives, international online betting sites are competing to attract the gamblers the country cut off when it eliminated land-based betting establishments. The competition is fierce with sportsbooks offering bonuses, rewards, and other incentives.

Like most gambling sectors, global lockdowns have sent gamblers to the internet in search of new ways to access opportunities to wager on sports. Digital bookies are filling in the gaps left by land-based sportsbook closures. In fact, web-based operators are likely to significantly increase the customer base, as Albania's citizens rebel against forced gambling bans by betting online.

History of Albania's Gambling Market

Albania's gambling market historically thrived and offered citizens thousands of venues for betting on sports and other casino games. The decision to eradicate local gambling is not one that administrators took lightly. In fact, government officials are now listening to proposals from the sports sector to create a framework for establishing online sports betting.

While it's not clear how far these proposals will go, the government is listening to feedback from sports committees and leagues. For now, the distribution of new licenses is on hold indefinitely, as the organization tasked with monitoring and regulating gambling in the region goes through a period of restructuring.

How to Bet in/from Albania

By 2019, the country's parliament banned sports betting and most gambling activities. This ban is an effort to stop high gambling addiction rates and corruption in the form of fixed matches for sports competitions. After the government ban, more than 8000 citizens lost jobs and the government lost more than $50 million in revenue from gambling.

In most neighborhoods, no licensed betting establishments are open. Experts expect that illegal operators are filling in the gaps in gambling availability. Online sportsbooks also offer ways to bet on sports online.

Are Bookmakers Legal in Albania?

Gambling in Albania is illegal with few exceptions. Since 2019, the country dismantled its gambling framework by passing laws banning sports gambling and other gambling activity. There are few gambling options and most of those cater only to tourists. New laws ban citizens from legally gambling in the region.

Since Albanians are gambling enthusiasts, citizens have an avid interest in sports competitions and gambling. From football to all Olympic sports, gambling historically added excitement to watching competitive matches.

As the government grapples with what the future of gambling looks like in the country, each top-tier online bookmaker is eager to attract Albania's gambling citizens. In the future, experts speculate that the country may develop a government-run online gambling framework.

In fact, sports organizations are submitting proposals to legislators about successful digital betting frameworks in other countries. At present, there is not such a framework in place, and most gambling in Albania remains illegal. These are a few online sportsbooks welcoming Albania's citizens to gamble:

Bovada
BetUs
BetOnline

Albanians who meet the legal age requirement may open an account to wager on sports online. However, the government does monitor web activity and may restrict access to online betting sites, which are illegal. However, setting up an account is a straightforward process requiring identity verification. Within a matter of minutes, an Albanian may set up an online bookie account to wager on sports via the web.

Sports Legislation in Albania

The drastic decision to ban gambling in Albania is a response to the government's inability to stop match fixing and illegal betting in sporting games. Social ills are also a consideration in banning sports betting, which is a move meant to curb all associated illegal activity.

Albania's application to join the EU was approved in 2020, and the country seeks to overcome a legacy of corruption and crime to build prove that Albania is a responsible and well-run country. By tackling problem gambling associated crimes, Albania's new laws temper illegal activity and protect young citizens from possible addiction.

Historically, Albania welcomed gambling as an essential revenue source. Under the country’s 2008 Law (No. 10 033/2008) referencing gambling, residents of Albania legally participated in sports betting, bingo, and race gambling. The law also established the country’s Gambling Monitoring Unit for enforcing the regulations, protecting the economy, and curbing illegal gambling activities.

Unfortunately, illegal gambling and social ills reached such a high level that the government enacted a new law, Law No. 75/2018, which restricts online gambling and sports betting.

Betting Acts in Albania

Currently, Albania's legislation bans all betting activity, except at major hotels and tourist destinations. New laws banning sports betting are in place to curb illegal activity and corruption associated with gambling.

Important Policies in Albania

Prior to Albania's outright ban on nearly all gambling activity in the country, government officials attempted to clamp down on sports betting and other gambling activities for years. Albanians are estimated to have spent more than $135 million on gambling with yearly increases near 10 percent annually. With only 3 million citizens, Albania is a small country.

Since efforts to curb illegal activity and social problems related to gambling did not work, the country decided to ban the activity for citizens, even though the gambling sector is one of the country's most prolific and profitable market sectors.

Albanian Players' Favorite Sports to bet on

Football known as soccer is Albania's favorite sports game. Other games of interest follow the tradition of fierce competition and warfare, such as wrestling and archery. However, with several pro and amateur teams, football is the preferred sport.

In addition, the country is a participant in the Olympics. Athletes from across Albania practice to compete on behalf of the country in various sports, such as swimming, weightlifting, and volleyball. Albanian athletes participated in the international competition for the first time during the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Later,

Olympians from Albania returned to compete in 1992 during Barcelona's Summer Games and have participated in every Olympic competition since.

Best Odds for Albanian Players

The best bookmakers offer Albanians competitive odds for a variety of competitions, tournaments, and matches. By measuring the likelihood of a match's particular outcome, online betting sites offer a variety of options, such as money lines, over/unders, and point spreads. With some research, a new or seasoned gambler may make an informed decision about which team is likely to win.

Biggest Local Tournaments and Events

On May 25, football fans converged on Albania's capital to witness the final for the Europa Conference League between Italy's Roma team and the Dutch club, Feyenoord. The country's airport welcomed at least 300 flights over the two-day period, which is the largest number of flights the airport has managed for an event during its history.

Fans from neighbouring countries drove to the capital. Tourists from Italy, the Netherlands, and other destinations flooded the sidewalks. An estimated 100,000 soccer fans visited the city for the tournament, which gives smaller clubs an opportunity to participate in major competitions. Each club received 4,000 tickets for the event. Albania's National Arena has 21,000 seats.

Sports Betting Payment Methods in Albania

Even with the ban on gambling, illegal operators and international gambling sites are picking up the slack in Albania. Offering a range of incentives to attract the country's gamblers, venues are giving away large welcome bonuses and loyalty rewards to sports fans.

Online gambling continues its expansive growth in the market. Even the government is considering proposals for developing a formal web-based betting framework for sports betting. In the face of millions exchanging hands in Albania's gambling market, several options exist for transferring the money.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a global phenomenon. The digital currency offers transparent and secure funds transfers. For international sportsbooks, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency options are simple, effective financial transfer options, which occur within minutes.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are by far one of the most popular options for depositing funds in an online sportsbook. With Visa and MasterCard brands both holding well-respected reputations as financial services providers, choosing debit or credit cards is a simple solution for online sportsbook deposits.

Bank Transfers

Although convenient and simple to use, some gamblers are choosing digital wallets over reliable, effective bank transfers. Fees and payout delays are two reasons gamblers may choose another payment method.

Digital Wallets

Offering a simple and instant money transfer option, digital wallets are fast becoming a favorite payment option in Albania and beyond. With a few clicks and answered questions, a consumer may transfer funds into a digital wallet from a bank account or credit card. As a result, online sports gambling sites do not have access to sensitive financial information.

FAQs

Will Albania offer more gambling options in the future?

Albania's gambling ban is in effect to help the company tackles family problems, social ills, and crime related to sports gambling. Government officials are considering proposals to formalize an online sports betting framework.

However, these discussions are in the preliminary stages. Until the laws change, gambling is available in major hotels and tourists' destinations. International sportsbooks are also accepting gamblers from Albania.

Can a citizen get in trouble for gambling online?

Gambling online is illegal in Albania. There are not currently cases documented online about citizens getting in trouble for gambling at international websites from home. In fact, several online sportsbooks accept players from Albania. Signing up is simple with or without a VPN. However, it is always best to seek legal advice before breaking a country's laws or simply don't do it.

How do Albanians access gambling venues?

For gamblers, sportsbooks in the region are shut down and betting on the internet is illegal. However, several web-based sportsbooks are welcoming sports fans from Albania who want to wager on matches.

Why did Albania ban gambling?

Albania is known for expansive corruption and organized crime related to sports gambling. It is also one of Europe's poorest countries and grapples with addiction and drug issues. Allegations of corruption cripple the country's ability to improve the economy, as it took steps to join the European Union.

Even though gambling is one of Albania's sources of revenue, legislators made the surprising decision to ban most gambling throughout the country. The decision shuttered more than 4,000 betting establishments.

Most Popular Bookies in Albania