In 2018, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama declared war on sports betting, describing it as a social problem that ruined families, impoverished citizens and fuelled gambling addiction. From January 1, 2019, betting shops were shut down and sports betting, including online activity, was banned.
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Albania’s proposed 2027 budget includes 2 billion lek (approximately €20 million) in expected revenue from licensing companies to operate online sports betting. The projected revenue is part of a total state budget of 907.9 billion lek.
There is, however, a significant problem: the government had already included the same 2 billion lek in its 2026 revenue projections but collected nothing because the licensing procedures were never opened. The same expected income has now been transferred to the 2027 budget.
Rama changed his position in 2023, acknowledging that the ban had failed to eliminate illegal betting. He then supported bringing sports betting back online under state supervision, arguing that the activity should be regulated and taxed rather than left to the illegal market.
In February 2024, Parliament approved legal changes allowing online sports betting through licensed operators. The new framework requires users to register with identification documents and provides for an electronic exclusion register for people with gambling addiction problems.
However, the licensing system has yet to become fully operational.
The contradiction is clear: an activity that Rama's government once considered so harmful that it had to be completely banned is now expected to generate millions of euros for the state budget.
The government argues that regulation will bring an existing illegal market under control. But an important question remains: how will it protect Albanian families from the social consequences that justified the original ban?
In 2018, the government focused on how much citizens were losing. In 2027, it is calculating how much the state expects to earn.