Albania – Online Casinos & Gambling Regulations

Finding the best Albanian casino online

First of all, be sure to read GoodLuckMate’s casino reviews to find out if Albanian players are accepted, if you can use the Lek and if your language is supported. While a few sites do indeed have all three of these things, you are more than likely to find much more choice by playing at an online casino or sportsbook site based in Europe, where it’s likely you’ll be using the Euro. Nevertheless, a range of payment methods will be available, from credit/debit cards to eWallets (such as Neteller and Skrill) and bank wire transfers. The exact availability and transfer times for each of these will be available on the site’s Payments page or by contacting customer support.

Which languages will be available?

As we mentioned above, there are a limited number of online casinos that support the Albanian national language, but even there, you might find that certain pages aren’t translated from the English original. Other sites may offer customer support in your language, but otherwise, the site will be in English, with the possibility of other major European languages being included. So, if you struggle to read English or another European language, we recommend shopping around for a site at which you’ll be more comfortable with terms and conditions in Albanian.

How to register a new casino account

Signing up is easy and can be done in a matter of a few minutes. Choose a password, enter your date of birth, fill in your address and telephone number and you’re good to go. Then, it’s just a matter of making your first deposit in order to claim any attached welcome bonus. Just be aware of the minimum and maximum amounts (probably given in Euros) and if there are any restrictions for certain payment methods regarding claiming any deposit bonus or free spins. I in any doubt, simply get in touch with a member of the customer support team ahead of time.

Here are some of the things you should do before signing up at an Albanian online casino:

• Read through a selection of GoodLuckMate reviews
• Ensure your preferred payment method is available
• Check if you can use Albanian Lek for deposits
• Find out if your preferred language is available
• Read the terms and conditions of any bonuses

Once you’ve checked all of the above and you’re happy to proceed, go through the welcome bonus banners featured on GoodLuckMate’s casino reviews to get the best deal available.

Gambling regulation – Gambling Monitoring Unit (GMU)

All gambling activity in Albanian is governed by the Gambling Monitoring Unit (sometimes referred to as GMU). This authority does not license casinos, sports betting or bingo (which will instead be done by an offshore agency such as the Malta Gaming Authority), but does enforce the government’s strict laws. One of the main ones to be aware of is that no land-based casinos, betting shops or bingo halls are allowed in so-called residential areas, so you will have to find them elsewhere (see below for more on this). However, when it comes to playing online, you won’t have any problems – so long as you fully declare your winnings for tax purposes.

However, as the Albanian government is largely against gambling in general, you won’t see advertising for the best deals except online. Plus, you should keep an eye on the national news in case any new laws are passed regarding things like playing at a site with servers located offshore, tougher taxation and if real-world betting parlors and other physical sites see further restrictions.

Casinos in Albania

Since 2018, when the parliament passed a revision of its Law on Gambling, all brick-and-mortar casinos and gambling establishments are only allowed to operate in tourist areas. This means you will have to play at one of the major hotels in the country, while sports betting shops are officially banned. Therefore, we thoroughly recommend that you play slots, table games or live casino, or else bet on sports and horse racing, online. The risk of playing at an illegal shop is too much, while there are plenty of legal ways via the internet to enjoy your favorite games and wager on your football team.