Albania has had a history of gambling. This small European nation has one of the highest number per capita sports betting offices in the world. A large part of the savings of Albanians goes into gambling in online casinos. Gambling can be pointed out as a major contributor to spoiling the socio-economic milieu in the country. The government has realized the dangers of gambling and has passed a new Act that makes all sorts of gambling illegal. This includes all types of sports betting and online gambling, unlike Italy that regulated some skill games for real money like poker, or Portugal that fully permitted all kinds of online gambling.
Despite being illegal, online gambling is hugely popular in Albania. Casinos that are registered and licensed in offshore locations accept players from Albania. 1Casino1 has a list of some of the best and highest paying online casinos which you can choose from. Here we provide insights into the gambling and the best online casinos that payout and accept players from Albania. Including gambling history, and legality of gambling in the country. It also provides details on the future of online gambling in Albania and some common FAQs.
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Albania Online Casino Sites
Online casinos have become very popular these days. They provide a convenient way of gambling from the convenience of your home. All you need is a computer and a reliable internet connection to get started. It saves time and resources as you do not have to make frequent trips to the casino physically to play games. Online casinos are thriving in Albania. On 1Casino1 you will find reviews and information about the top online casinos on the internet (like 777 & 888 online casinos). These are the biggest online casinos in the world, which are reputed and reliable. You can join them to play your favorite games and win real money. Some of the casinos that are listed here offer free online games with no deposit. From free online slots machines that require no download to live blackjack and poker.
Before you start to gamble online, there are several factors that you should consider when choosing a good online casino, which is discussed below:
License Details
The licensing details of an online casino should be checked before using it. You can check the country where the casino is registered and licensed. Many of the top online casinos you will play are registered in the UK or they are American online gambling sites that are registered in the USA. Playing games on unlicensed online casinos can be risky. If you are unable to withdraw your winnings and the casino does not help with it, you may be unable to approach the relevant authorities. You should also check if the online casino you want to sign up with accepts players from your country.
Software Used
A casino should be reliable. You should have a fair chance of winning and the odds should not be stacked heavily against you. The reliability of an online casino largely depends on the software and security it uses. Check the software used by the casino and study about its reliability. You can read online reviews and check other user’s experiences to get a better understanding. The best online casinos get their software audit done through third parties. This establishes the credibility of their software and builds confidence in the users. The casino should display the information and complete disclosure about the software used on its webpage.
Technical Support
The technical support provided by an online casino is important to consider before signing up. Since you will be playing on an online platform, technical glitches can occur. The casino you choose should offer prompt and responsive technical support to resolve any issues that you may face. A reputed online casino should offer 24/7 technical support. Check the communication channels available with the casino. They should provide options to contact the support team through chat, email, and telephone. The promptness with which the technical support team resolves your issues shows the importance they attach to their customers.
Bonus and Other Incentives
Online casinos offer a bonus and other incentives for the users to get attracted and retain them for longer. If you plan to play regularly, then online casinos offering first deposit bonuses are your best bet. When you make a first-time deposit, the casino provides you a bonus that can be used for playing. The bonus is generally twice or thrice of your first-time deposit. Some online casinos also give you free spins to play their most premium games. You can also explore online casinos providing welcome bonuses and free offers. It is important to be clear on the wager and withdrawal restrictions. For a free bonus, you will be required to put in a wager. If the wager is 10 times, it means that you will have to play games worth 10-times the free bonus to take your winnings out. Generally, online casinos that offer transparent bonuses and incentives are best to choose from.
Ease of Deposits and Withdrawals
The process of depositing and withdrawing money to and from your gambling account should be simple. The larger the number of deposits and withdrawal methods supported by the online casino, the better it should be for you. Most online casinos in Albania provide deposit and withdrawal options like bank transfer, credit card, cryptocurrencies, wallets like Skrill, Neteller, PayPal, etc. You can choose the option that best suits your needs and convenience. The ease of withdrawal of your winnings is also an important consideration while choosing a good online casino that payout. It should not put too many restrictions and make you wait for a long time to redeem the winnings. Some casinos have been known to be notorious and put in place policies that severely restrict your freedom to take out your prize money. You may have to wait even for years to completely withdraw the winnings. Such online casinos should at best be avoided.
Online Gambling in Albania: Laws and Regulations
Albania has had major economic and social problems with gambling. Albanians were spending a major part of their earnings on gambling. The government does not issue licenses on its own. They have been working actively towards closing gambling shops and places in the country. All types of online gambling have been stopped and made illegal in Albania. The foreign operators have been banned in the country. Earlier, under the 2008 Law on Gambling, Albanian citizens could indulge in different types of gambling activities like race, sports, bingo, casinos, electronic casinos, lottery, etc. Under this law, the Gambling Monitoring Unit (GMU) was the regulatory body for supervising gambling in Albania.
However, the government has made a move to ban all forms of gambling operating from residential areas effective from 1st January 2019. The new law states that all gambling concerns like casinos, betting parlors, etc. should move out of residential areas and relocate to tourist areas or be located in five-star hotels. The objective of this is to keep gambling outside the reach of common citizens. Any gambling establishment found operating from residential areas will be strictly penalized under the new law. The change in the law also prohibits the authorities from issuing any licenses for sports betting operators. However, the national lottery and televised bingo game continue to remain legal under the new law.
Under the current law, online gaming and casinos are deemed illegal in Albania. However, online casinos continue to accept players from the country. Thus far, there is no known instance of players getting prosecuted and penalized for indulging in online gambling. Most foreign online casinos are active in Albania. You can access them using a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass the local regulations. It is also easier to access these online gambling sites through computers and laptops than mobile phones.
Gambling History in Albania
Albania was a socialist people’s republic before 1991 and all forms of gambling were illegal in Albania. Post the fall of the communist government, the new regime legalized gambling. It started by legalizing lotteries and sports betting first. The existing law in Albania for the regulation of gambling was introduced in 2004. The physical brick and mortar casinos are limited in Albania. Their infrastructure, security, variety of games offered, etc. are also minimal. The only proper casino in Albania that offers casino games, card games, and table games is known as the Regency Casino. It was licensed in 2005 and is in the Taiwan Center, which is in the heart of Tirana.
However, after the year 2013, the Socialist Party won the elections and was sworn into power. Since then, they have been closely monitoring all forms of gambling in the country. A new law has been passed by the government from 1st January 2019, that limits gambling in Albania. However, much of online gambling remains unaffected by this new law. As all the online casinos operating in Albania are registered and licensed in offshore locations, they continue to flourish and attract a large number of players.
There is also no restriction by the government from allowing Albanians to indulge in online gambling through international gambling sites. Most of these international gambling sites can be easily accessed from Albania, despite the government’s commitment to curb gambling in the country. Hence, you can indulge in online gambling from Albania if an online casino accepts players from your country.
The Future of Online Gambling in Albania
The Albanian government has not provided much clarity on the online casinos under the new Act. The land-based casinos and gambling establishments need to relocate from residential to tourist areas and five-star hotels. The nature of the ban on the online gambling website remains unclear. Online casinos in Albania need licensing but the government is not willing to license them locally. The minimum age of gambling is 21 years.
Despite the ban on gambling, online casinos continue to flourish in Albania. The number of players is rising which can be mainly attributed to the easing of internet access and mobile devices. The online gambling industry is also keeping itself updated to stay relevant in the wake of the new Act banning gambling in the country. Online casinos registered and licenses in foreign countries are still operating in Albania and accepting players from there. Cryptocurrency is also finding greater acceptance of online gambling. The technology, number of games, end-user experience, etc. is expected to improve considerably over time. The number of games offered by online casinos in Albania is expected to increase shortly. You can play some of the most popular online games sitting at your home instead of visiting a physical casino.
Albania Casino Online FAQ (6)
Some of the most common frequently asked questions (FAQs) relating to Albania online casinos are provided below:
Is it Legal to Play on Online Gambling Sites in Albania?
The new Act passed in Albania makes online gambling illegal with effect from 1st January 2019. All online casinos that operate from the Albanian territory are illegal under this new Act. However, despite the law, online casinos continue to flourish in this European country. Online casinos registered and licensed in offshore locations continue to accept Albanians on their site for online gambling. Using a VPN can provide you with added security to conceal your location by connecting to an online casino through an offshore server.
Do Albania Authorities Allow for Online Sports Betting?
The new government that followed the earlier communist regime post-1991, legalized gambling in Albania. They started by making sports betting legal as a first step. Lotteries were also made legal during this period. However, the new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Edi Rama is pursuing to curb gambling. The newly passed Act prohibits any form of online sports betting. The country has one of the highest per capita sports betting offices before the enactment of the new law. More than 4,300 such online sports betting offices have been closed after the new law has been enforced.
However, you can still place online bets on sporting events. All the online casinos accepting players from Albania are offshore and thus do not directly come under the ambit of the new law. You can continue using these offshore online casinos for sports betting. You can use a VPN to make yourself anonymous on the internet and stay protected from the authorities. Hence, you can still indulge in online sports betting, despite the government trying to curb it aggressively.
Is online gambling safe for Albania?
Online gambling can be safe if you exercise caution and choose a reputed online casino. Since online gambling is illegal in Albania, you should only choose from offshore online casinos. Any online casino claiming to be licensed by the Albanian government should be avoided as they would be making a false claim. You should also be cautious and use only a secure internet connection for indulging in online gambling. Using a VPN is a good idea to remain safe from the authorities. Before you sign up with an online casino, you must do your homework. Check for its reviews, user experiences, etc. online and choose a reputed casino to remain safe.
Are Bonuses Offered by Online Casinos in Albania?
Online casinos in Albania offer bonuses. You must ensure that the online casino you choose, accepts players from Albania. An online casino can offer you different types of bonuses. They can provide you a welcome bonus on making your first deposit.
What Are the Available Deposit Methods?
You will have to deposit money in your online casino account to start playing games. There are different channels offered by most online casinos for depositing money into your account. You can use bank wire transfer and credit card for depositing money. There are other online wallets like Skrill, Neteller, etc. that can be used for depositing money. Some online casinos may also provide the option of using cryptocurrency for making the deposit. These are generic deposit methods and the actual mode of deposit varies from one online casino to another. You should check the exact mode of deposits offered before choosing a casino.
How to Play Casino Online with Real Money?
The first step for playing in an online casino is to deposit money into your online casino account. You can deposit the money using different modes like bank wire transfer, credit cards, online wallets, cryptocurrencies, etc. Once the money is deposited in your account, you are good to go and play online games. You can also get a welcome bonus for the first-time deposit in your account. This bonus can be used for playing games and increasing your winnings. However, you should inquire about casinos’ withdrawal policies before signing up. There is hardly any merit in winning big and being unable to redeem your winnings.