Albania is moving closer to reopening its regulated online sports betting market, with the government completing the core legal framework for a tightly controlled system capped at 10 nationwide licences.
The country legalised online sports betting again in February 2024 after a prohibition introduced in 2019 pushed much of the activity toward offshore and informal operators. However, the market has not yet formally opened. As of August 2026, no licensing competition has begun and no regulated online sportsbook has launched.
The latest regulatory package establishes how companies will qualify, how applications will be assessed and what financial and technical requirements successful operators will face.
Licensing framework now largely complete
A major step came on 26 March 2026, when Albania’s Council of Ministers adopted Decision No. 194. The measure created the competitive licensing procedure, evaluation criteria and scoring system for online sports betting operators. It entered into force on 30 March.
The wider regulatory package contains eight subordinate measures covering areas including technical standards, player identification, payments, compliance monitoring and enforcement. The final measures approved in June included Decision No. 488, which sets procedures for suspending or revoking licences.
The Gambling Supervisory Authority will administer the system together with a Licensing Commission. The Commission must first formally launch the competition before the Authority can publish an application notice.
Once that notice appears, applicants will have 45 calendar days to submit their bids.
High entry requirements target established operators
Only companies structured as Albanian joint-stock entities will be able to compete. Applicants must demonstrate at least three years of gambling-sector experience across a minimum of three EU or OECD jurisdictions, either directly or through a qualifying shareholder.
Minimum share capital is set at ALL 40 million, while the applicant or one of its qualifying shareholders must have generated at least ALL 2 billion in gambling turnover during the previous financial year.
The minimum licence price is ALL 400 million for the licensing period, although companies may submit higher offers as part of the competitive process. A separate non-refundable application fee of ALL 500,000 will also apply.
Operators must also establish separate financial guarantees. One fund protects player winnings, while another is reserved for tax and regulatory obligations. The framework additionally requires applicants to have the necessary technology arrangements in place before applying rather than completing platform procurement only after receiving a licence.
Applications will be scored out of 100 points. The economic offer and gambling-sector experience each account for 30 points, organisational and administrative capacity is worth 20, technology and software capabilities contribute 15, and the business plan accounts for the remaining five.
Taxation and player controls central to new model
Licensed online sportsbooks will face a 15% gambling tax based on gross gaming revenue. The regime also places heavy emphasis on traceable transactions and customer identification, reflecting the government’s effort to shift betting activity away from unregulated channels and into a taxable domestic market.
Deposits and withdrawals must be processed through approved financial institutions or payment providers, while cash betting is not permitted. Players will have to register using recognised identification, and operators will be required to retain customer records.
The framework also provides for self-exclusion controls and imposes restrictions on gambling advertising, particularly where minors, misleading marketing or responsible-gambling requirements are concerned.
Albania is not returning to the large network of physical bookmakers that existed before the 2019 ban. The new sports betting model is digital-only, while conventional retail betting shops remain outside the licensing framework.
The result is expected to be a relatively small but tightly regulated market. With only 10 licences available and demanding financial and operational thresholds, the framework is designed primarily for established betting groups rather than new entrants.
The remaining milestone is the launch of the licensing competition. Until the Licensing Commission issues that decision and the application window formally opens, Albania’s online sports betting market remains legally prepared but not yet operational.