The Albanian parliament has unanimously voted to lift a five-year ban on online sports betting, with permission granted to only ten operators. This decision was made to regain control over the black betting market that had flourished in the country.
Before the imposition of the ban in 2019, Albanians annually spent €150 million on legal bets. However, including illegal bets, the revenue of unauthorized bookmakers soared to €700 million. The ten companies permitted to operate had to demonstrate transparent operations before the ban was imposed.
In 2018, three licensed firms in Albania operated networks of bookmakers, which numbered over 4,200 establishments.
