Gambling, the state loses 120 million euros - 11 by-laws are missing, they should have been approved by October 1, 2024
The law on gambling entered into force on April 1, 2024, but due to the lack of bylaws, it has not been implemented.
Referring to an analysis conducted by ALTAX, due to delays in the implementation of Law No. 155/2015, as amended in March 2024, and the failure to approve 11 bylaws within the legal deadline of October 1, 2024, the state loses 7–12 billion lek per year, or about 70–120 million euros.
In its analysis, ALTAX concludes that the partial implementation of the law has created regulatory gaps that have suspended the granting of 10 national licenses, leaving legitimate operators out of the market and strengthening the role of foreign platforms.
It is also noted that the illegal market accounts for 60–75% of the total annual turnover, with an estimated turnover of 150–250 million euros, which is not taxed and not monitored by the Albanian authorities.
In this way, it is concluded that the untapped fiscal potential is considerable and if the law is fully implemented, the state could secure 12–18 billion lek/year from a 15% tax on gross gambling revenues as well as 13–23% on the winnings of players with winnings over 5 million lek.
The report highlights the lack of coordination between responsible institutions and the Financial Intelligence Unit, as well as the lack of a common digital infrastructure for tracking online betting transactions. Because of this, the current financial reporting system is fragmented and ineffective in detecting illicit money flows.
According to ALTAX, the lack of law enforcement creates direct damage to the state budget and affects fair competition between legal and illegal operators. Furthermore, the high exposure to foreign platforms increases the risk of money laundering and international evasion, weakening the country's fiscal control mechanisms.
To provide a solution to this problem, it is recommended to urgently adopt 11 by-laws within a short period of time, to make the provisions of Law No. 155/2015 applicable; Restart the procedure for granting national licenses, with transparency and standardized criteria; Create a national electronic monitoring system similar to the Italian model (ADM app), which can track in real time the circulation, DPT, etc., and integrate with the AMLF, through risk analysis and cooperation with banking units.
The implementation of temporary measures for the formalization of operators seemed to provide a transitional period for registration. Formalization of the market through digital monitoring and institutional cooperation could transform a chronically informal sector into a sustainable source of fiscal and economic transparency.
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