Albania Casinos
Online casinos in Albania: a banned market
Albania runs one of the strictest gambling regimes in Europe. Parliament voted unanimously in October 2018 to close the sector, and from 1 January 2019 betting shops, slot halls and every online gambling site had to shut. A 2024 amendment brings back online sports betting under a handful of national licences, but online casino games were left out completely, so there is no legal online casino for anyone in Albania, and we do not promote sites that claim otherwise.
Are online casinos legal in Albania?
No. Law 75/2018 banned online gambling, betting shops and slot halls from 1 January 2019, leaving the national lottery and casinos in designated tourist areas such as five star hotels. Law 18/2024 allows online sports betting again under up to ten national licences, but the licensing competition had not opened by August 2026, and online casino games have no licensing route at all. Any online casino serving players in Albania is operating illegally.
How online gambling is regulated in Albania
Law 75/2018 took effect on 1 January 2019 and closed more than 4,000 betting venues. Online gambling went with them, including the one site that held a licence at the time. What survived was narrow: the national lottery, and casino gaming in designated tourist areas such as five star hotels. In 2020 the government also approved a small zone in central Tirana where casinos may open.
Law 18/2024, passed on 15 February 2024, reopens online sports betting and nothing else. Council of Ministers Decision No. 194 of 26 March 2026 sets the rules for up to ten national licences, with players registering by ID card and cash payments banned. By August 2026 the Gambling Supervisory Authority (AMLF) had not opened the licensing competition, so no operator holds an Albanian online licence yet. Slots, live tables and other online casino games have no licence category at all.
What this means for players in Albania
If you live in Albania, there is no legal online casino to join, and a site translated into Albanian or offering lek balances does not change that. Offshore operators work outside Albanian law and outside any protection you would have as a player, so if a withdrawal stalls or an account is closed, nobody here can help you get your money back. We do not recommend any online casino to players in Albania.
When licensed sportsbooks launch, they will be the only legal online option, and only for sports bets. Until then the national lottery is the main legal game in town. If gambling is already causing problems, our responsible gambling page is a good place to start, and the country guides hub covers neighbouring markets.
Is online gambling legal in Albania?
Not for casino games. Online gambling has been illegal since 1 January 2019 under Law 75/2018. Law 18/2024 makes room for online sports betting under up to ten national licences, but as of August 2026 the licensing competition had not opened, so no online operator is licensed in Albania yet. Online slots and table games remain banned with no route to a licence.
Why did Albania ban gambling?
The government wanted to cut off a cash flow that organised crime used to launder money, and to curb the harm gambling was doing to families. When parliament voted unanimously in October 2018, the country had more than 4,000 betting venues, many in residential neighbourhoods, and the ban closed them from 1 January 2019.
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