Albania could issue up to 10 iGaming licences as a new regime nears launch

Albania is moving toward reopening online gambling under a tightly controlled framework after a 2019 ban pushed betting underground. For PSPs and high-risk operators, the important part is not just the licence count — it is the reporting, retention, and tax stack that will sit on top of it.

1. Since 2019, Albania has banned bookmakers, slot halls, and all iGaming verticals. The ban did not end demand; it shifted activity into a black market that was estimated at €197,9 million last year, including €109 million from grey betting.
2. Before the ban, in 2018, the country had 4 thousand betting points of sale and 2,8 million players. Betting turnover reached €700 million, which gives a sense of the market size the authorities are now trying to bring back under licensing.
3. In 2024, officials started drafting a new legal framework for iGaming, and by July 2026 it was described as nearly ready to launch. The planned regime would allow up to 10 online licences, while betting shops and slot halls would remain prohibited.
4. Land-based casinos would be allowed only in several five-star hotels. The state expects annual revenue of €20 million from the new setup.
5. Operators would have to track all transactions and keep player data for at least three years. On the tax side, they would face a 15% GGR tax, a standard 15% corporate tax, plus local taxes and a licence fee.

For high-risk payment providers, that combination matters: a small licence pool, mandatory transaction monitoring, long data retention, and layered taxation usually means closer scrutiny of PSP controls, settlement flows, and merchant onboarding before anyone commits to the market.