Is online poker legal in Albania?

No, online poker is banned in Albania. In 2019, the government introduced laws prohibiting most forms of gambling, including online poker.

Can Albanian players access international online poker sites?

While the Albanian government has banned online gambling, many international poker sites are still accessible. However, these sites operate without local regulation, and players should exercise caution.

Are there penalties for playing online poker in Albania?

Although the government has banned online poker, enforcement of penalties against individual players is rare. The primary focus is on preventing local operators from offering online poker services.

Is live poker legal in Albania?

Live poker is heavily restricted in Albania due to a 2018 law that banned most forms of gambling. However, some legal exemptions allow certain games of chance, like bingo, lottery, and casino games in designated hotels, to continue under the supervision of the Game Supervision Authority.

Are there any licensed poker rooms in Albania?

Yes, despite the gambling restrictions, a few venues still offer poker. For example, Grand Casino Tirana has a poker room where Texas Hold’em is available, although most of the games offered are house-banked games like Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Caribbean Stud.

Are poker tournaments allowed in Albania?

Some poker clubs, like the Albania Poker Club in Tirana, have hosted tournaments in the past, such as a 5,000 ALL guarantee. However, these events are not frequently advertised, so it’s advisable to check their social media for updates.

Discover Albania's Evolving Poker Landscape and Laws

Albania had two major ideological influences working against a regular gambling market throughout its history.

Between 1946 and 1992 the country existed as the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania. Under the Communist regime, gambling was prohibited and regarded as an “idle bourgeois pastime”.

In 1992, that regime fell. However, in the new republic, the majority (according to the latest figures, 56%) of the population returned to their Islamic religion – Islam has been the most dominant religion in Albania since the Ottoman conquest of the late 14th Century.

Islam, just like Communism, frowns upon all sorts of games of chance. The texts refer to them as “maisir” and they’re strictly forbidden.

Despite all that, gambling was actually legal in Albania from 1992 up until a bill passed in October 2018 banning almost all kinds of gambling, both land-based and online. However, the Albanian legislature didn’t cite ideological reasons for the prohibitions. They claim they passed the bill to stifle gambling addiction in the country; as well as to tackle match-fixing in local sports and protect the finances of Albanian households.

However, they will allow gambling in “casinos in large hotels”. Also, the national lottery and the televised bingo games got special permission as well, as Reuters reports.

Famous Albanian Poker Players

Muhamet Perati sits on top of the Albanian all time money list on Hendon with $584,893 in live tournament earnings. At the 2012 WSOP, he made it to the final table in the $1,000 No Limit Hold’em event. He eventually busted in 7th place and won $64,414. That is the biggest single live tournament cash of his career to date.

As for online poker, a player from Albania who plays under the screen name “Jetize” on PokerStars and “znachit_a” on Bwin has cashed for $424,183 in MTT’s throughout his career.

Online Poker in Albania

Online poker in Albania operates in a somewhat restricted environment due to the country’s strict gambling laws. In 2019, Albania implemented a ban on most forms of gambling, including online gambling. This law targeted both online and land-based gambling to address concerns over addiction and illegal activity.

As a result, the government prohibited Albanian citizens from accessing online poker sites that operate within the country. However, many international poker websites continue to be accessible from Albania, as the ban is difficult to enforce fully, especially regarding offshore gambling platforms.

It’s important to note that playing on these offshore platforms may come with risks, as they operate without local regulation or protection under Albanian law. Therefore, players should be cautious when engaging in online poker in Albania.

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Live Poker in Albania

Live Poker Legislation in Albania

As we wrote in our intro, a 2018 law outlawed most types of gambling.

The games of chance that remain legal thanks to legal exemptions, such as bingo, lottery, and casino games in certain designated hotels, are supervised by the Autoriteti i Mbikëqyrjes së Lojërave të Fatit (Game Supervision Authority).

Live Poker Venues in Albania

Despite the recently passed gambling ban, worldcasinodirectory.com still lists 52 licenced casinos within Albania on their website. However, most of them are no longer in operation.

But there are still a few casinos staying in business in Albania. Grand Casino Tirana, evidently located in the capital city of Tirana, does have a poker room. Unfortunately, most of the games they offer are poker game types which are played against the house, such as Ultimate Texas Hold’em or Caribbean Stud – but they do offer Texas Hold’em as well.

However, what they don’t do is list any specific information about the game, only writing: “The world’s most popular Poker game with more tables, more tournaments, and more people to challenge than ever before. It’s Texas Hold ‘Em Poker the way YOU want to play!”.

The Albania Poker Club is also located in Tirana. They’re not very informative about their game selection either – even though they regularly post on their Facebook page. They occasionally share sporadic information about the tournaments they’ve hosted. For example, in May 2018, they held a ALL5,000 (~$50) NLHE tourney with a ALL5 million (~$50,000) guarantee.