Operating in Albania: sports betting only, 15% tax
Albania reopened online sports betting in 2024, but up to 10 licences are still to be awarded: on 8 October 2026 AMLF had licensed no online operator and had not opened the competition. Online casino and poker cannot be licensed at all. Winnings carry 15% tax withheld by the operator, with an unexplained exemption for some online sports betting.
Product by product
Every online sports-betting applicant must be a joint-stock company seated in Albania; a foreign branch cannot hold the licence.| Product | Status | Licensed by | Tax | Key restriction | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online sports betting | Limited | AMLF Licensing Commission, by competition | 15% of gross gaming revenue | Maximum 10 licences nationwide, none issued and the competition not yet opened (8 Oct 2026) | TV and other audiovisual only 22:00-08:00; no sports-team sponsorship |
| Online casino and live casino | Banned | No licence can be obtained | — | The remote electronic games category exists on paper but every application is barred | Casino categories may not advertise on audiovisual media |
| Online slots | Banned | No online licence can be obtained | — | Slots are allowed only in licensed land-based casino halls | — |
| Online poker | Banned | No online licence can be obtained | — | Online poker falls under the barred remote electronic games; poker is allowed only as land-based casino tournaments | — |
| Lottery | Limited | National Lottery licence, a single licence by competition | 15% of gross revenue plus 10% into the Special Fund | Single 10-year licence; AMLF's page lists no licensed entity (8 Oct 2026) | TV and other audiovisual 18:00-08:00 |
| Televised bingo | Limited | Televised bingo licence; 1 licensee listed | 15% of gross revenue plus 1.5% into the Special Fund | Draw on national television; tickets via shops, online network, internet or mobile | TV and other audiovisual 18:00-08:00 |
When will Albania open online sports betting licences?
Law 18/2024 reopened online sports betting for up to 10 licences, and Decision 194 of 26 March 2026 fixed the competition criteria and procedure. On 8 October 2026 the competition had not been opened: AMLF's category page says it has not yet licensed any entity, and no competition notice appears. Under Decision 194 the Licensing Commission decides to open it, and AMLF then publishes the notice within 7 days; applications are due 45 calendar days after the date in the notice. AMLF's notice of 28 April 2026 also records that online gambling advertisements on Facebook and Instagram were reported to AKEP, the electronic communications authority, and the State Police.
AMLF online sports betting page ↗AMLF notices ↗Decision 194 of 26.3.2026 ↗
Regulator and player protection in Albania
Which casinos & betting sites are licensed in Albania?
See the full official list of licensed operators and their authorised domains.
Heads-up for operators
2 items · last change 22 Oct 2026
Competition for up to 10 online sports-betting licences: not yet opened
Law 18/2024 and VKM 194/2026 provide for a competition for no more than 10 online sports-betting licences, but on the AMLF pages read on 8 October 2026 it had not been opened: AMLF says it has not yet licensed any entity, and no competition notice appears. The Licensing Commission decides to open it; AMLF then publishes the notice within 7 days, and applications are due 45 calendar days from the date the notice sets.
Source: 1Checked 8 Oct 2026
Council of Ministers decision starting tax on the central monitoring system (SQMO): not issued
Until the Council of Ministers decides that SQMO is implemented and taxation on its basis starts (art. 71(7) of Law 155/2015), the transitional charge of 25% of the profit from the game, with monthly minimums, continues to be calculated and paid. No such decision was found, and no instrument says whether the first online sports-betting licensee pays that charge or the 15% of gross gaming revenue in art. 52(3). The AMLF contribution waits on the same step: 3% of gross gaming revenue once SQMO is implemented, until then 0.5% of annual turnover, at least 2,000,000 lek a year for online sports betting.
Source: 2Checked 8 Oct 2026
Not yet in force: drafts, laws adopted without a start date, and sections of the law still to be commenced. An item moves to the timeline below on the day it takes effect.
Getting licensed: applications before the market opens
Gambling tax: 15% of GGR
- Online sports betting
- 15% of gross gaming revenue (stakes less winnings paid) into the Special Fund by the 15th of the following month (Law 155/2015 art. 52(3), as rewritten by Law 18/2024).
- The Act also still holds the transitional charge of arts. 71(7) and 72(4.2): 25% of profit, with monthly minimums of ALL 10,000,000 (1 to 99 tax-registered entities), 12,000,000 (100 to 149) or 14,000,000 (above 150), continuing until the Council of Ministers decides that taxation on the central online monitoring system (SQMO) starts.
- That decision had not been found on 8 October 2026, and no instrument says which regime applies to the first licensee.
- Also due
- the AMLF contribution of 3% of gross gaming revenue, minimum ALL 1,500,000 a year (until SQMO is implemented, a transitional 0.5% of annual turnover, minimum ALL 2,000,000);
- 15% of declared advertising spend into the Special Fund (art. 52(13)); the SQMO maintenance fee (VKM 331/2017).
- Corporate income tax 15% (Law 29/2023 art. 41); gambling is VAT-exempt (art. 52(1)).
- Land-based
- casinos 25% of gross revenue on tables, electronic games and slots plus 2.5% into the Special Fund;
- National Lottery 15% plus 10%; televised bingo 15% plus 1.5%.
- No online licence has been issued, so no operator pays today.
Albania's gambling tax next to neighbours and nearby markets
Each bar is the headline operator tax as that country's own page states it, for Albania, its neighbour and the nearest other markets (marked “nearby”) that tax gross gaming revenue. Hover or tap a bar to see what it is made of.
Which foreign licences Albania accepts
Albania recognises none of these 8 foreign licences.
BlockedMalta (MGA) · United Kingdom (UKGC) · Curaçao (CGB) · Alderney (AGCC) · Kahnawake (KGC) · Anjouan · Isle of Man (GSC) · Gibraltar (GRA)
No instrument read recognises a licence issued by Malta. Online sports betting needs a licence from AMLF held by an Albanian joint-stock company; gambling experience abroad counts only as evidence in the competition. AMLF can request blocking of unlicensed online games (art. 8(3)).
Bonus rules: welcome bonuses allowed
No instrument regulates the wagering conditions of bonuses, free bets or free spins. Instruction 13/2026 (art. 11) sets how promotional balances are held and withdrawn: promotions are not the player's real funds and cannot be withdrawn until the player meets the organiser's conditions for using or converting them, they are kept apart from the real balance, and they count as a liability of the organiser. VKM 151/2026 requires the betting platform to report on bonuses and promotions, and bonus advertising is bound only by the general content rules: not misleading about winnings, not presenting gambling as an opportunity to win or as bringing financial or social success. No online sports-betting operator is licensed, so no market practice can be recorded.
- Welcome bonus
- No rule on bonus terms; no licensed online operator yet
No Albanian rule sets the wagering conditions of bonuses, free bets or free spins, and neither the advertising rules nor the technical standards for betting platforms limit or define a welcome bonus. A 2026 payments instruction does say that bonus money is not your own money until you meet the operator’s conditions for it, that it is kept apart from your real balance, and that you cannot withdraw it before then. Bonus advertising is bound only by the general content rules: not misleading about winnings and not presenting gambling as an opportunity to win. No online sports-betting operator is licensed, so no operator can lawfully offer one today.
- Messages ads may not give
- Presenting participation as bringing financial or social success
- Presenting gambling as a solution to financial problems
- Presenting gambling as an opportunity to win
- Anything misleading about the possibility or amount of winnings
- Mandatory disclaimer
Every advertisement must carry 'Lojërat e fatit krijojnë varësi. Kujdes në ushtrimin e tyre të tejzgjatur.' (Gambling creates addiction. Take care in prolonged play.) (Law 155/2015 art. 9(2/4)(e)).
- Placement rule
- Clearly distinguishable, in emphasised letters, taking at least one tenth of the size of the advertisement, on the main advertising page. On the organiser's own site, advertising sits in a designated section. Audiovisual advertising is in written words with the organiser's logo, a help website and a counselling number if there is one.
- Penalties
Fixed fines set by AMLF inspectors: ALL 1,000,000 for advertising in breach of art. 9 and ALL 500,000 for breach of the advertising and player-protection bans of arts. 6 and 7 (art. 53). A fine may be appealed to the Fines Appeal Commission within 30 days, then to the administrative court.
AMLF's Director General orders removal of non-compliant promotional material, and the order binds organisers, service providers and publishers (art. 9(3)-(4)). Repeated breaches lead AMLF to block and then remove the right to operate (art. 53(2)).
No bonus-specific advertising rule was found. Neither Law 155/2015 nor the advertising regulation requires each advertisement to be approved or notified in advance; AMLF acts afterwards by removal orders and fines. No online sports-betting operator is licensed, so no operator can lawfully advertise an online product today.
Advertising: limited
Gambling advertising in print and audiovisual media is banned by Law 155/2015 art. 9 except as the article permits. Licensed organisers may advertise in electronic media, on their own authorised websites and in public places the law names. Online sports betting may use audiovisual media only between 22:00 and 08:00 around sports broadcasts (a 2018 point still bans such advertising during sports broadcasts and the two texts are not reconciled); the National Lottery and televised bingo may advertise between 18:00 and 08:00. Online sports-betting organisers may not sponsor sports teams. Every advertisement must carry the addiction warning and may not target minors or under-21s, and organisers pay 15% of declared advertising spend into the Special Fund. With no licensed online operator on AMLF's list (8 October 2026), no operator can lawfully advertise an online product today.
| Channel | Status | Vertical & Platform Split (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Ads | Restricted | Under Albanian law only licensed organisers may advertise online, and none is licensed. Google's country-specific gambling list has no entry for Albania (read 8 October 2026), so Google's policy allows no Albanian online-gambling advertising through Google Ads. This is the platform's own statement, not law.67 |
| App Store Publishing | Restricted | Albanian law names no app store. Online sports betting is conducted through the websites and applications of licensed organisers, on platforms the Licensing Commission approves (Law 155/2015 art. 20(3)), and no online sports-betting organiser is licensed, so no operator can lawfully publish a real-money betting app for Albania today. Apple's and Google's own store rules for Albania are not covered here.38 |
| Google/Apple App Store Ads | Restricted | Albanian law names no app-store advertising channel. Licensed organisers may advertise in electronic media and on their own authorised websites (Law 155/2015 art. 9(2/1)), and no online operator is licensed, so none can lawfully advertise an app today. Apple's and Google's own advertising rules for Albania are not covered here.38 |
| Meta (FB/IG) | Restricted | The Gambling Law does not name social media. Licensed organisers may advertise in 'electronic media' and on their own authorised pages; a gambling advertisement in a video on a video-sharing platform counts as audiovisual commercial communication, allowed only in the cases the law lists. AMLF's notice of 28 April 2026 says it has licensed no entity in online games and reported online gambling advertisements on Facebook and Instagram to AKEP and the State Police. Meta's own rules for Albania were not readable.3910 |
| TV & Radio | Restricted | Television: only online sports betting (22:00 to 08:00, around sports broadcasts and related programmes), the National Lottery and televised bingo (18:00 to 08:00) may advertise, in written words only with the addiction warning, the organiser's logo and a help website; online betting spots may not exceed 20 seconds or 6 per event; no gambling advertising in news and politics programmes. A 2018 point (art. 6(6)) still bans audiovisual online-betting advertising during broadcasts of sports events, and how it is reconciled with the later rule is not stated. Radio: no radio-specific permission exists, and a sound-only advertisement cannot meet the written-words condition (our reading). No operator can qualify while none is licensed.34 |
| Sponsorships | Restricted | Organisers licensed for online sports betting may not sponsor sports teams. Other licensed gambling entities (land-based) may, except at events for under-21 categories. For online sports betting, logos inside venues are allowed visually only, only while an official sports event is running, and never at under-21 events.34 |
| Digital OOH | Restricted | Visual materials are allowed only in public places expressly set by the law. A gambling point or hall may show only its identification sign on the outside (casinos: a sign at the main entrance); casinos may advertise at ports and airports, and all other forms of outdoor advertising are banned. For online sports betting the only outdoor channel the regulation names is the premises of official sports events. Digital screens as such are not addressed.34 |
Channel rules for Albania reflect each platform's published policy and the sources numbered in each row (listed under Methodology & sources). Verify with the local regulator and your ad-platform account manager before launching.
How Albania enforces against unlicensed operators
No online licence exists yet, so there is no licensee to enforce against. The tools are in place: AMLF can request immediate blocking of unlicensed online games through the competent authorities, and AKEP carried its requests for about 8,000 domains and pages in 2019, 132 in 2020 and 41 in 2021; these figures are dated, as they stop at January 2022. AMLF's notice of 28 April 2026 reports online gambling advertisements on Facebook and Instagram to AKEP and the State Police. Administrative fines are fixed: ALL 500,000 or 1,000,000 for breaches such as underage players, advertising or unapproved software, and ALL 30,000,000 for running online sports betting without a licence. Organising gambling in breach of the law is a crime punishable by one to three years' imprisonment. The largest fines actually decided are not published in the sources read.
- AKEP states that AMLF decides and AKEP acts as intermediary: about 8,000 domains and pages in 2019, 132 in 2020 and 41 in 2021 (to the date of its January 2022 reply).
- 28 April 2026: AMLF notice that it has licensed no entity in the category of online games and has reported online gambling advertisements on Facebook and Instagram to AKEP and the State Police.
- Law 155/2015 art. 53: fixed fines of ALL 500,000 and 1,000,000, and ALL 30,000,000 for operating online sports betting without a licence.
- Criminal Code art. 197: organising or running gambling in breach of the law, one to three years' imprisonment (two to five where people under 18 take part).
Enforcement cases in Albania: 4 recent
Material regulator actions, court rulings, and high-profile fines from 2016–2026 against operators serving Albania. Each entry includes the technical failure and a one-line read-across for other operators in the market.
- April 2026
Online gambling advertisers on Facebook and Instagram (not named)
AdvertisingReported to AKEP and the State PoliceAMLF's notice of 28 April 2026 states that it has licensed no entity in the category of online games and reports the advertisements to AKEP and the State Police.
Read-across: Online gambling advertising is being treated as unlicensed activity while no online licence exists.
- March 2024
Prospective online sports-betting operators
LicensingMarket reopened by Law 18/2024Law 18/2024 (Official Gazette 45 of 12 March 2024) rewrote the online sports-betting criteria and added the Licensing Commission, the competition and suspension provisions.
Read-across: A closed market of no more than 10 licences awarded by scored competition; none issued and no notice published on 8 October 2026.
- 2019
Unlicensed online gambling sites
Grey-MarketAccess-restriction requests carried by AKEPAKEP states that AMLF decides and AKEP acts as intermediary: AMLF asked for access restrictions on about 8,000 domains and pages in 2019, 132 in 2020 and 41 in 2021 (to the date of AKEP's reply in January 2022), which internet providers carried out. These figures are dated: they stop at January 2022.
Read-across: Domain blocking is an established tool against unlicensed online offers, so an unlicensed operator cannot count on staying reachable.
- December 2018
Betting, track betting and remote electronic games organisers
LicensingLicence categories closed by Law 75/2018Law 75/2018 (25 October 2018) declared betting, track betting and remote electronic games to 'operate until 31 December 2018', barred all licence applications in those categories and discontinued those under review.
Read-across: Shows how quickly the licensing window has closed before. Law 18/2024 reopened only online sports betting; online casino stays closed under art. 71(2/1).
Licensed operators: none
As of 19 Oct 2026, no operator holds an active online licence in Albania.
Traps operators hit in Albania
Specific operational risks that have caught new entrants in this market. Each item is country-specific. Generic gambling-ops issues (KYC, RG tools) are not included unless they have a local twist.
A closed tender for no more than 10 licences
Entry depends on winning a scored competition, not on meeting criteria: no more than 10 licences nationwide, a single-phase procedure, 100 points including the economic offer (30 points), the business plan (5) and certifications and software (15). The applicant must be an Albanian joint-stock company with share capital of at least ALL 40,000,000, and the applicant or a shareholder holding at least 30% must show gambling experience in at least 3 EU/OECD countries for at least 3 years. On 8 October 2026 the competition had not been opened.
Large sums frozen or committed upfront
The winner must fund two guarantee funds in dedicated bank accounts within 30 days of the complaint period: ALL 120,000,000 for winners (or 5% of the prior year's stakes if larger) and ALL 50,000,000 for AMLF and tax obligations. The licence fee is not less than ALL 400,000,000 over 10 years. The text does not settle whether the winning bid replaces that floor or is scored as a surplus above it; the competition notice and economic-offer form, published when the competition opens, are the next official source.
Two possible tax regimes for online sports betting
Art. 52(3) charges 15% of gross gaming revenue into the Special Fund, while the transitional art. 72(4.2) charge of 25% of profit, with monthly minimums of ALL 10,000,000 to 14,000,000, stays in the Act until the Council of Ministers decides that taxation on the central online monitoring system starts. That decision had not been found and no instrument says which regime applies to a first licensee. The AMLF contribution is likewise 3% of gross gaming revenue (minimum ALL 1,500,000) or, until the monitoring system is implemented, 0.5% of turnover (minimum ALL 2,000,000).
Local banking, data and certification rules
Payments run only through payment service providers seated in Albania and licensed by the Bank of Albania; a full, current copy of the database must be kept inside the country; the platform must integrate with AMLF's central monitoring system in real time; and the operator or platform developer must hold ISO/IEC 27001:2022, 22301, 20000, PCI DSS, ISO 9001, GLI-19 and GLI-33 certifications.
History of closing licence categories
Law 75/2018 closed betting, track betting and remote electronic games from 31 December 2018 and barred all applications. Law 18/2024 reopened only online sports betting; online casino remains closed under art. 71(2/1). The Act has also been amended three times.
Timeline: rules in force
- 2 Nov 2026
VKM nr. 114/2026 – Gambling participation restriction register
Licensed operators are to access the register for their gambling category; until the electronic register is established, AMLF informs gambling companies about listed players and updates. The decision says it takes effect after publication in the Official Gazette, but the supplied documents do not state that publication date.
Source: 17Not yet in our reportAdded 2 Nov 2026 · not in the reviewed edition
- 26 Jun 2026
VKM 488: suspension and revocation procedure
Official Gazette 138/2026: procedures and time limits for suspending or revoking an online sports-betting licence.
Source: 18
- 5 Jun 2026
Instruction 13/2026: payments in online sports betting
Official Gazette 120 of 11 June 2026, in force 15 days after publication.
Source: 15
- 26 Mar 2026
VKM 194: competition criteria for online sports betting licences
Single-phase competition for no more than 10 licences, 100-point scoring, ALL 500,000 application fee.
Source: 13
- 11 Mar 2026
VKM 151: technical standards of online sports betting systems
Official Gazette 55 of 17 March 2026, in force 30 days after publication.
Source: 5
- 15 Feb 2024
Law 18/2024 approved
Reopened online sports betting: new criteria, the Licensing Commission, the competition, suspension and Special Fund provisions. Published in Official Gazette 45 of 12 March 2024 and in force 15 days after publication.
Source: 19
- 25 Oct 2018
Law 75/2018 closes betting categories
Declared betting, track betting and remote electronic games to 'operate until 31 December 2018', barred all licence applications in those categories and discontinued those under review. Art. 71(2/1), added by the same law, bars applications for remote electronic games (online casino).
Source: 3
- 21 Dec 2015
Law 155/2015 on gambling approved
The base Act, published in Official Gazette 251 of 31 December 2015, sets the AMLF and the licence categories of art. 5.
Source: 3
Operator myths vs reality in Albania
Common assumptions about gambling licensing that turn out to be wrong in practice.
- MythA licence from another jurisdiction is enough to take Albanian players.
- MythMeeting the minimum criteria guarantees a licence.
- MythThe application fee is the main cost of entry.
- MythAn online casino licence can be applied for later.
Markets that work like Albania
Compared on what our records hold for each country: whether online casino, betting, poker and lottery are licensed, state-run or banned, the licensing model, what the operator tax is levied on and its band, how most advertising channels are treated, and how foreign licences are treated. A point we hold for only one of the two countries counts for nothing.
- CyprusCheckedEcuadorReviewed
Online casino and poker banned; betting licensed; licensed market; GGR tax 10–20%; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- KazakhstanCheckedAustraliaChecked
Online casino and poker banned; betting and lottery licensed; licensed market; most ad channels restricted; foreign licences mostly blocked.
- RussiaAI overview
Online casino and poker banned; betting and lottery licensed; licensed market; tax on GGR; most ad channels restricted.
Methodology & sources
The research behind our Albania coverage
Counted across every Albania page, not this page alone.
compiled 19 Oct 2026
Across every Albania page on this site: players, operators and the licence guide. The research report behind them cites official sources: the law, the regulator, the gazette, the courts and each platform’s own published advertising policy. Page sections not yet rewritten from the report may cite other sources.
The same research as a 58-page Albania report: every one of the 201 checklist questions, each answer cited to the instrument behind it.
Request the Albania reportOur Deep AI Scan took Albania through all 201 questions of our regulatory checklist, from 47 official documents, read on 19 Oct 2026. Our research team then traced every figure on this page to the document and sentence that states it. The full research report is reviewed by a named legal expert (12 Oct 2026). Where a fact rests on a press report or a law-firm summary rather than an official document, the page says so.
Documents cited on this page
- 1AMLF: online sports betting category page
- 2Law 155/2015 on gambling, consolidated text (arts. 14, 52 and 71)
- 3Law 155/2015 on gambling, consolidated text to Law 18/2024 (AMLF)
- 4AMLF: Regulation on the advertising of gambling entities
- 5Official Gazette 55/2026: VKM 151 of 11.3.2026, technical standards of online sports betting
- 6Google Ads policy: gambling and games, country-specific requirements
- 7AMLF: licensed entities by category (read 8 Oct 2026)
- 8AMLF: Online sports betting category page (read 8 Oct 2026)
- 9Law 30/2023 amending the audiovisual media law (video-sharing platforms)
- 10AMLF: notice of 28 April 2026
- 11AKEP reply no. 3 of January 2022 on access restrictions
- 12Criminal Code, consolidated text to 13.2.2026
- 13VKM 194 of 26.3.2026: online sports betting licence competition (AMLF)
- 14Official Gazette 4/2017: Ministry of Finance Instructions 3 and 6 of 9.1.2017
- 15Official Gazette 120/2026: Ministry of Finance Instruction 13 of 5.6.2026, payments in online sports betting
- 16QBZ record of Law 155/2015
- 17vkm nr 114 2026 regjistri i moslejimit te pjesemarrjes ne lojerat e fatit dhe formularet standarde
- 18Official Gazette 138/2026: VKM 488 of 26.6.2026, suspension and revocation
- 19Official Gazette 45/2024: Law 18/2024
The 10 documents this page relies on most
- Law 155/2015 'Per lojerat e fatit ne Republiken e Shqiperise', consolidated text updated to Law 18/2024 (AMLF-hosted PDF)Regulator
- Fletorja Zyrtare nr. 55 of 17/03/2026: VKM nr. 151 of 11.3.2026, technical standards of the online sports betting systemRegulator
- VKM nr. 194 of 26.3.2026: criteria, deadlines, competition procedure and scoring for the online sports betting licence (AMLF-hosted PDF)Regulator
- Fletorja Zyrtare nr. 120 of 11.6.2026: Ministry of Finance Instruction nr. 13 of 5.6.2026 on payments in 'Baste sportive online'Regulator
- AMLF: Rregullore per Publicitetin e Subjekteve te Lojerave te Fatit ne Shqiperi (PDF)Regulator
- Law 29/2023 "On income tax", updated text (through law 81/2025 of 11.12.2025), as published by the tax administrationRegulator
- Expert review: Vilson Haxholli, written review of the Albania report, 12 October 2026Regulator
- AMLF: 'Subjekte te licencuara' (all category lists on one page)Regulator
- AMLF: 'Baste Sportive Online' category pageRegulator
- Law no. 9917 of 19.5.2008 'On the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing', consolidated text (latest amendment Law 37/2026 of 9.4.2026)Regulator
Also cited on this page
- Ministry of Finance Instruction 26 of 8.9.2023 on income tax, updated (tax administration)
- Fletorja Zyrtare 47/2026: VKM nr. 114, 27.2.2026 (regjistri elektronik i personave të ndaluar)
- AMLF: Vendime të Këshillit të Ministrave › Mbrojtja e lojtarit › VKM nr. 114, 27.2.2026
47 documents in all. Request the full research report for every source, answer by answer.