Albanian President Signs Newly Introduced Gambling Restrictions into Law

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Albania’s new gambling law set to take effect on January 1, 2019

Albanian President Ilir Meta has decreed the proposed amendments to the country’s gambling law that were recently approved by the Parliament and aim to crack down on all forms of gambling, the office of the official announced in a Friday statement.

The statement read further that Law No. 75/2018 On Several Amendments and Changes to Law No.155/2015 On Gambling in the Republic of Albania has been signed by the President and will take effect on January 1, 2019.

The changes into the country’s existing gambling law were spearheaded by Prime Minister Edi Rama and were overwhelmingly approved in the Parliament late last month by a 75-0 vote from his Socialist Party. Opposition members did not vote on the proposed amendments as they boycotted the parliamentary session.

The amended law bans all casinos and other physical gambling facilities from operating in residential areas. Casino gambling will only be allowed at five-star hotels and tourist areas around the country. Slot machine halls and other venues providing gambling services will have to relocate to city outskirts or close in order to comply with the recently approved changes.

Online Gambling Ban

Prime Minister Rama did not spare online gambling, as well, in his effort to curb the proliferation of gaming and betting activities in his country. Under the amended law, all betting and casino operations provided remotely will have to shut down.

According to previous media reports, the Parliament had considered the establishment of a sports betting monopoly, but those reports were later on dismissed by Mr. Rama as “slanderous.”

The government has made it clear that it would also begin to enforce a previously imposed ban on gambling advertising, which has long been neglected by companies servicing Albanian gamblers.

Prime Minister Rama’s aggressive anti-gambling policies have drawn quite some ire, mainly due to the fact that his brother is one of the owners of a profitable sports betting company. Despite the ban on advertising, the gambling company in question has long been among the most aggressive promoters of gambling services across Albanian media outlets.

Minister Rama has also revealed that his party had received threats and warnings against the implementation of the new regulatory regime. The Prime Minister has further noted that these had come as another evidence that the country’s gambling industry was largely controlled by the organized crime and that the new restrictions aim to namely combat organized crime.

The implementation of a ban on most forms of gambling was also justified with the government’s intention to curb social ills arising from gambling. Experts have instructed the government that gambling addiction was a pressing issue in the country and that the higher rates of domestic violence and divorces in recent years could, too, be linked to gambling.

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