Albania: gambling regulation and licensing
- Online sports bettingPre-regulation
- Online casinoProhibited
- Land-based (reference)Regulated
- Headline tax
- Not yet verified
- Licence required
- Not yet verified
- Last verified
- 30 Aug 2026
Summary
Albania is the clearest current example of a market that has been re-regulated on paper and has not yet reopened in fact. Betting shops, slot halls and online gambling were prohibited outright in 2019, and the reversal has been assembled piece by piece since. Council of Ministers Decision No. 194 of 26 March 2026, in force from 30 March, set the criteria, timetable, scoring and competitive procedure for awarding online sports betting licences, and the framework was completed in June 2026 with rules on suspension and revocation. Licensing is administered by the Autoriteti i Mbikëqyrjes së Lojërave të Fatit, the gambling supervisory authority, working with a licensing commission, and the number of online sports betting licences is capped at ten. The decisive fact is what has not happened. The AMLF states on its own site that it has not licensed any entity in the online gambling category, and warns the public against online gambling advertising appearing on social media. So Albania today is a jurisdiction with a completed licensing regime, a hard cap of ten places, no competition yet run and no lawful online operator. Betting shops and slot halls remain prohibited, and land-based casino operation stays confined to certain five-star hotels.
Common pitfalls
The common error is reporting Albania as an open online sports betting market because the framework was adopted in 2026. The framework exists and the licences do not: the AMLF states it has licensed no operator in the online category. A second error is assuming re-regulation restored the whole market. Betting shops and slot halls remain prohibited, casinos remain confined to certain five-star hotels, and only online sports betting has been reopened, capped at ten operators.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Autoriteti i Mbikëqyrjes së Lojërave të Fatit (AMLF)
- Regulator type
- Dedicated regulator
- Headline tax
- Not yet verified
- Licence required
- Not yet verified
- Minimum age
- Not yet verified
- Tax base
- Not yet verified
Legal framework
Secondary instruments
- Year
- 2026
- In force
- Yes
- Summary
- Cited as VKM nr. 194/2026.
Pending legislation
Opening of the competitive licensing round for up to ten online sports betting operators
- Stage
- enacted
- What it changes
- The framework is complete but the AMLF states it has licensed no operator in the online category, so the competition has not yet been run.
Advertising
- Advertising permitted
- Not yet verified
- Affiliate rules
- Affiliates are not separately licensed. Only operators holding a licence from the national regulator may lawfully be promoted.
- Penalties for breach
- The Gambling Supervision Authority supervises the sector and acts against unlicensed supply.
Restrictions
- Albania closed most commercial gambling in 2019, leaving a narrow lawful field, so there is little licensed product to advertise.
- The Gambling Supervision Authority supervises what remains of the sector.
- Promotion of operators that are not licensed in Albania has no lawful basis.
Timeline
26 Mar 2026
Council of Ministers adopts Decision No. 194 setting the competitive licensing procedure for online sports betting.
30 Mar 2026
Decision No. 194 enters into force.
Outlook
The event to watch is the opening of the competitive round, which will allocate up to ten online sports betting licences in a market that has had no legal online supply since 2019. Until it opens, every online offer reaching Albanian consumers is unlicensed by the regulator's own account.
Sources
- Tier 1Accessed 29 Aug 2026
- Vendim i Këshillit të Ministrave nr. 194, 26.03.2026, on criteria and procedure for online sports betting licences
Karanovic & Partners
Tier 3Accessed 29 Aug 2026Published 26 Mar 2026