Albanian Online Gaming

In October 2018, Albania’s parliament passed a law banning sports betting and other forms of gambling effective from the start of 2019, in a bid to tackle addiction among gamblers and match-fixing in sports competitions while also protecting household finances. The legislation, which passed with 75 votes from members of Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party, will force the closure of slot machine parlors, betting shops and all other forms of sports wagering, including via online sites.

In October 2013, the Albanian government, which had just taken power, announced it was going to block access to all foreign online gaming sites. The new Albanian government didn't want the poor country to keep sending money to offshore operators. It is estimated that Albanians spent EUR 500-700 million annually on online gaming before the government's crackdown.

In January 2013, Xhoilloto, the largest licensed and regulated land-based sports betting operator in Albania, signed an exclusive agreement with SBTech, a provider of sports betting solutions. SBTech replaced Xhoilloto's existing sports betting platform for its land-based business and was to provide a complete turnkey solution enabling Xhoilloto to enter the online gaming market, offering sports betting and online casino games.

In October 2018, Albania’s parliament passed laws that ban online betting and prohibit other forms of gambling.