Essential information and facts about Albania:
Capital
Total Area Population Median age
Ethnic Groups Languages Currency
Tirana
28,
748sq.km 3,095,344 34.3 years
Religion Muslim, Roman Catholic, Orthodox.
Albanian (82.6%), Greek, other Albanian, Greek. Leke
Government type Parliamentary republic Chief of State President Bajram Begaj (since July 2022)
Head of Government Prime Minister Edi Rama (2013) Elections President indirectly elected by assembly for five-year term. Prime Minister appointed by President on proposal of majority party or coalition. 11%
Unemployment Tourism 5.6 million (2021)
has been permitted since the early 2000s and the first casino opened in 2005 in Tirana.
However, four years ago the gambling playing field in Albania changed when the government declared war on the industry and decided to ‘stamp out’ the rise in gambling problems and criminal activities associated with this sector.
Te Gambling Supervision Unit controls the gambling industry throughout Albania and is a unit working under the Ministry of Finance.
At the beginning of 2019 the law 75/2018 was introduced, superseding the previous law 155/2015, which banned all types of gambling such as electronic casino gaming halls, sports betting, racetrack betting, bingo halls and online gambling. It only left TV bingo, the national lottery and licensed casinos in five-star hotels and tourist resorts as legal entities.
Huge problems with slot halls in terms of organised crime, match fixing and gambling addiction led to the ban. It is said one in four with gambling addiction have attempted suicide whilst there are links between gambling addiction and domestic violence cases.
It was reported that 35 per cent of people gambled daily in Albania losing between $100 and $550 per month. Some 40 per cent of Albanians earn less than $450 a month.
Te ban resulted in the closure of around 4,000 betting shops in the country, a loss of $51m in tax revenues annually and saw 8,000 people unemployed.
At the time there were around 50 ‘casino’ style slot halls operating and with just one remaining after the blanket ban (Regency Casino).
P168 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
Te law gave the Gambling Supervisory Unit the right to review and approve 10-year casino licences after the government determined, via a special decision, the criteria and procedures for licensing.
Tese decisions dragged on and were revoked several times but changes were finally released in September 2020.
Te decision to allow casinos in hotels was mainly due to the need to attract investment in tourism. Te changes introduced by Prime Minister Edi Rama did however also permit a newly created ‘casino zone’ in the city of Tirana which permits casinos with a licence from the Gambling Supervision Unit, to operate in the city limits or in resort areas. Operators must be a joint stock company with a capital of at least $12m (ALL1.2bn).
However, since the new law there now appears to be little restrictions with reports that Tirana is fast becoming one of the largest gambling zones in the Balkans. Large scale casinos are opening and the market appears to be “dubiously monopolised”.
So up until 2020 there was only one casino in Albania - the Regency Casino. Tere are currently three casinos now operating in the casino zone.
Albania granted Regency Casino the first casino licence in 2005. Te casino opened in the ‘Taiwan’ building in Tirana and at the time was operated by a consortium of Hyatt and a group of Albanian investors costing around €20m. Te licence was granted after an international tender was set up by the Albanian government. Since 2014 the Regency casino is solely owned by Besnik Sulaj thorough companies he owns and controls.
Te casino covers an area of 1,700 sq.m and the company’s literature claims it currently has two VIP rooms plus a gaming floor with a total of 275 slots and 10 gaming tables. Its 15-year licence which expired in 2020 was renewed for 10 years.
It is reported that in 2019 incomes reached $6.5m for the lottery and $193.5m for Regency casino - a total of $201.1m compared to $163.4 total in 2018.
In May 2020 the Gambling Supervisory Unit approved a licence for another casino located at the Plaza Maritim hotel. Te Grand Casino Tirana opened in August 2020, and this was the first casino in a five-star hotel under the new regulations. Te applicant of the licence was Adria Entertainment (formerly Apex) which is said to be associated with Olsi Rama, brother of
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