Albania's parl lifts ban on online sports betting

The regulatory changes were endorsed by all 72 members of parliament present in the plenary hall, parliament said in a notice on its website.

The ban was introduced five years ago when all gambling activities in the country were prohibited. However, it led to rapid growth of illicit sports betting, the economy ministry has said in its motivation for the proposed legal amendments.

Prior to the ban, sports betting was mainly carried out in café chains owned by three licensed companies. Sports betting cafes in Albania numbered 4,214 in 2018, according to economy ministry data.

Only ten companies with previous experience in the betting industry will be licensed, the economy ministry has said.