Albania passes law banning sports betting, online gambling

[The Buzz]

Albania’s parliament passed a law last week banning sports betting and other forms of gambling beginning 1 January 2019 in a bid to tackle addiction among gamblers and match fixing in sport 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.

According to a report from Reuters, Rama told parliament:

“We are waging a frontal war with the evil entrenched deeply in our society over the years,” he told parliament before Thursday’s vote.

The prime minister accused some betting firm owners of having a criminal record and links to organized crime and said a special task force would be set up to shut down any online gambling sites operating in the country.

“They might keep changing sites, and we’ll keep shutting them down,” he said.

Read more here: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-a...-idUSKCN1MZ2GR

[matthewt]

That is good news for Albania. Maybe crime will decrease.

When citizens can handle gambling, they will allow it. For now, Albanian casino owners need to grow up first, right?

[Cash Bonus]

More and more our industry is struggling. Unfortunately, this month has been no exception either. Personally, it was only at the beginning of this year that was much better and stronger in terms of conversions.

[drifter8]

Take a look at the Turskish market - all seems to be forbidden but the companies produce mirros domains and obtain big bets. Albania will not be the exception.
When you take something from someone, that he/she loved to do, they will find the way to do it even in an illegal way.
Bet for living is the phrase of many punters, including in Albania..

[LeeGwilliam]

This will change nothing, all they have done is removed any form of player protection that they could have had by regulating and instead driven the traffic offshore to black operators.

If people want to bet - they will still bet.

[DanHorvat]

I don't think Albania is competent enough to enforce a full ban. Not even China can do such a thing (as seen in case of bitcoin).

So they'll force closure of their own domestic betting shops, and people will still find a way to bet online with foreign operators. It also opens the door for criminal betting through bookmakers who **** your family if you don't pay up. So criminals will still make money, and people who want to bet cleanly will no longer be able to do so.

They do have serious problems in Albania but this won't solve them.

[matthewt]

Albania is now looking to be a great example of how to disallow gambling. How effective will they be in enforcing this new law? Are they willing to give jail time for people who get caught gambling? Only Asian countries do that, right?