Albania Betting Market Awaits Its First Licence Competition

Key Points

• Albania completed its betting regulations, however the competition has not yet been launched, and the number of licences remains unknown.
• Each winner should provide all 170 million in guarantees within thirty days, otherwise it may lose its licence.
• A not-so-well-known 30% shareholder regulation might prevent some of the international corporations from using their parent company’s experience.

The Rules Are Finished, So Why Is the Door Still Closed?

All the regulations of Albania’s online betting market were developed already, however no company is able to apply for a licence yet. It was stated by the Ministry of Finance in a very detailed OIKONOMAKIS LAW guide, which stated that all the regulations were approved and the system was established properly. In addition, it was stated that the official licensing process had not been officially launched. There could be up to ten licences, however no one outside the government knows when the game starts or how many prizes are available.

To find out the reasons for the delay, SiGMA News interviewed Anisa Rrumbullaku, the partner of CR Partners, on 5 October. Her company cooperates with Karanovic & Partners and provides consultations to gambling operators in the whole Balkans. According to Anisa Rrumbullaku, Albania has a complete set of regulations which have not been checked once by any regulator or bidder.

One Vote to Set the Clock

The whole process is entirely dependent upon the decision of the Licensing Commission regarding opening a new round and how many licences will be offered. After the Commission makes its decision, it takes only seven days for the Gambling Supervisory Authority (AMLF) to publish an official notice. The application period will be opened 45 calendar days after that, allowing a 30-day extension. Notice should also be published in two international newspapers so that the call reaches operators not only in Albania.

Scoring criteria are listed in Decision No. 194 dated 26 March 2026, stating one round with a 100-point score. Economic offer and gambling experience receive up to 30 points each. Organisational capacity scores 20 points, software – 15 points and business plan – five points. “Experience indicates whether an applicant can be a serious competitor for the licence; economic offer can make the difference between otherwise equal candidates”, Rrumbullaku says. In case of a tie, a draw will decide the outcome, and both parties are informed beforehand.

A High Wall to Get Points

However, before any scoring takes place, applicants will have to satisfy the entry requirements set out in the rules published by Karanovic & Partners in 2024. Thus, there should be an Albanian joint-stock company with a minimum of ALL 40 million in share capital. An applicant also needs three years of gambling experience in at least three EU or OECD countries. Moreover, the applicant or its shareholders need to provide proof of having had ALL 2 billion, roughly €20 million, in gambling turnover in the previous year. And the technology is needed even earlier, as an agreement with the software provider should be secured.

There are costs involved at each stage of the process as well. The application fee is ALL 500,000 per application, with no refund in case of an unsuccessful bid. The licence fee is up to the winner, but a minimum of ALL 400 million is paid in instalments over ten years. With such a high barrier to entry, Rrumbullaku believes there will be a lot more interested companies than applications submitted.

30% Rule Most People Have Not Recognised

In addition to the questions concerning the experience rules there is one more hidden issue which is mostly overlooked in reports. Applicants are allowed to make use of licences, experience and turnover of shareholders, however, according to Rrumbullaku, that shareholder has to own at least 30% of shares directly. She finds no legal grounds for the use of a parent or sister company with such a share ownership. In the absence of previous cases from the regulator she recommends resolving the issue prior to filing.

Documentation becomes the second concern for foreign companies. Chains of ownership, true ownership, sources of funds, audited financial statements and licensing history should be consistent in all documents. Also foreign documents require an apostille seal and Albanian translation taking a lot of time out of the 45 days.

No Money and a Large Fee After Licence Is Awarded

Instruction No. 13 regulates the movement of money between participants and operators. Any cash payment is prohibited, and all money transfers should be made via the companies licensed by the Bank of Albania. The card or account used in money transactions should belong to the verified participant. Operators have to deposit players’ money into a separate account which will be checked on a daily basis.

The next step is the proof of financial capability after winning the licence. Within 30 days after the award each successful applicant should deposit the full amount of 120 million, which is about €1.3 million, in order to cover players’ winnings. In addition it should deposit the full amount of 50 million, about €540,000, for the fulfilment of obligations to the regulator. Failure to do so will result in suspension or revocation of the licence according to Decision No. 488.

Other rule violations will be dealt with differently under the same decision adopted on 26 June by the government. According to the report by Mundovideo concerning the decree, the AMLF conducts the investigation and then the Commission considers the case of the operator and gives recommendations. The final decision is to be taken by the Finance Minister Petrit Malaj who should justify it. The second violation within three years can result in a suspension from 30 days to two years, and the third one will lead to revocation of the licence.

Can Licensed Operators Sway Offshores?

It is important to note that the ban of 2019 did not stop Albanians from placing bets but merely redirected them to off-the-books websites. According to Gaming Compliance International as cited in iGaming Business, illegal sports betting generated $117 million in GGR in 2024. The number grew to $126 million in 2025 and reached almost $229 million including casinos and poker. Rrumbullaku insists that the figures can only serve as guidelines for now as they require confirmation.

Getting that money back on the legal market is not going to be possible through licensing alone. Rrumbullaku stresses that Albania will need to block access to illegal sites, regulate payments and clamp down on local middlemen, affiliates and illegal advertisement. All these steps require cooperation between the gambling regulator, the telecommunications regulator, police, banks and payment companies. “The real test will be how much illegal activity is transferred to the regulated space,” she explains.

Albania’s neighbours have already begun tackling the issue in a joint manner. Seven national associations established the new Balkan Gaming Federation in Belgrade this spring to combat illegal gambling. Albania has not been part of its founding members.

Rebirth of a Market That Was Banned

The rationale behind the tough regulations becomes clear if one analyzes the background of the phenomenon. According to available statistics, in 2018 there existed roughly 4,000 gambling institutions, generating a turnover of some €700 million per annum. A ban came into effect on 1 January 2019, but all bets were just shifted online. The Prime Minister Edi Rama later admitted that it would have been impossible to stop the activity. “It is a pity for this activity to be done by people who are breaking the law,” the politician remarked, according to BIRN (Tirana). Law No. 18/2024 was adopted in Parliament on 15 February 2024 and took effect on 27 March 2024.

Expert Analysis: A Market Built for Giants, Then Left Hanging

We reckon that Albania has got a set of rules that are really only good for big international outfits to be able to meet. Hendri Hanaj of Hashtag Lawyers has said that no Albanian company’s got a chance in hell of meeting the conditions, which is a pretty straightforward statement. Some of you will be thinking it’s just about being cautious after the 2018 shambles, and that’s not an unfair view. But we’re getting a bit worried about the delay, because the longer it takes to get a competition sorted the longer we’re stuck with no licensed sites to compete with the unlicensed ones.

Player protection starts to get really tricky for us. On one hand, operators need to be directing their customers to support services, but BIRN has reported that Albania has zero dedicated gambling counselling or rehab services to actually take those referrals on. If you’re going to make a rule that says someone needs to send their customers to a support service then you’d better have a decent system in place to receive them.

The 30% rule is the bit in all of this that really worries us. A global group with a lot of clout sees its parent company’s experience just get ignored because of how its shares are held. Rrumbullaku argues that speed shouldn’t be the only thing you’re judging success on. She reckons the real test of success will be whether the rules in place bring down the amount of illegal betting and keep players safe, rather than just whether we can get all ten licences out the door ASAP, and she makes a pretty good point.