Albania to relocate casinos

The local government said that all casinos and betting shops have to relocate to city outskirts.

Albania.- Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama revealed this week the decision to relocate all casinos and betting shops out of residential areas to limit their expansion, especially in the country’s capital Tirana.

Rama said that all casinos, including shops taking bets on sports betting and animal races, will need to cease their activities and move to city outskirts by December 31st. The government believes that city streets in the country, which is one of the poorest in the European continent, are full of sports betting shops, and they want to stop the growing trend.

The prime minister said that despite the fact that the number of casinos has decreased from 40 to 20 in just five years, the government’s gambling tax revenue has increased €15 million, from €32 million to €47 million since 2013. The official said that if media outlets don’t stop illegal gambling advertising they will be “closed by force.”

“The current law forbids advertising of bookmakers and gambling and this law has been violated by all media without exception, therefore I am warning them that they have 24 hours to remove all adverts of this nature,” he said.