4.6/5
4.6
This guide will take a closer look at Albania’s current situation regarding betting and gambling and provide all the answers you’ll need to start online betting there. It will cover where to find the best bookmakers, what you can bet on, and the history of online betting in the country.
But as of January 2024, the Albanian government re-introduced sports betting and made it completely legal, opening the doors for new sports betting companies to emerge in the country. Even though it’ll take time for sportsbooks in Albania to return in full force, it didn’t take long for many of the biggest betting companies to re-enter the market.
If you're looking to start betting in Albania, there are many sportsbooks to choose from. Moreover, the number of available sports betting companies is expected to increase by the end of the year, so things are looking up for Albanian bettors.
4.2
|
Rakeboost bonus
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.1
|
3+1 in Free Bets
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.2
|
|
|
||
4.2
|
50% up to $1000
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.0
|
-
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.2
|
100% up to $500
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.2
|
125% up to $1250
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.4
|
100% up to u₿50000
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.0
|
100% up to $600
T&Cs Apply
|
|
||
4.2
|
First Deposit Bonus 125% up to $1000
T&Cs Apply
|
|
Due to the Albanian government re-legalizing betting sites, local bettors are protected by laws and the regulatory body against most shady wagering platforms. However, that doesn't mean that every available website that offers online betting is good.
To recognize which are the best sports betting sites in Albania, you have to consider several factors, and here is the main thing we look for when testing and reviewing betting sites.
If you find a bookmaker that checks those marks, it's fair to say that it's one of Albania's top sports betting sites. However, if you want to bet with the best odds, you should always look to register with more than one sportsbook.
Signing up with bookies is very straightforward, and it shouldn't take you longer than a few minutes to complete the sign-up process and place your first bet. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it and what to look for.
All in all, the sign-up process with any of Albania's sports betting sites takes just a few minutes to complete if you have the needed documents. And while you're at it, we advise you to complete the KYC before you decide to withdraw your winnings to speed up the withdrawal process.
All bookmakers in Albania will have some betting bonuses and offers available – but there's a difference between the best sportsbooks with great rewards and those with fairly mediocre offers.
4.2
|
Rakeboost bonus
|
Rakeback is a withdrawable bonus that is accrued for each bet and depends on your current Rank. Please bet responsibly, begambleaware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. | |
4.1
|
3+1 in Free Bets
|
Place 3 consecutive bets and get the 4th bet as a free bet! Full T&Cs apply | |
4.2
|
|
||
4.2
|
50% up to $1000
|
Earn a 50% Welcome Bonus up to $1,000 on your first-ever deposit at Jazz Sports. Use Promo Code JAZZ50 and your extra 50% will be added to your sports betting balance. Full T&Cs apply | |
4.0
|
-
|
- | |
4.2
|
100% up to $500
|
Join today and make a deposit to receive an incredible 200% Welcome Bonus. Play responsibly. Full T&Cs apply. |
At the very least, all betting sites will have a welcome bonus, used primarily to attract new customers and generally the best bonus available. Beyond that, sports betting companies also offer offers and promotions for existing users, which range from VIP offers, free bets, Acca boosts, insurance, and many more.
Deposit bonuses are among the most common offers found on bookies in Albania. As the name suggests, these bonuses are tied directly to you making a deposit and most commonly come as a matched deposit bonus.
With a matched deposit bonus, the sportsbooks match your deposit and give you free wagering cash relative to the size of your deposit. These kinds of bonuses are most commonly found as welcome offers.
As noted, welcome offers are bonuses bookies offer primarily to attract new customers, making them as appealing as possible. There are many variations of welcome bonuses, but the most common is the matched deposit bonus.
For example, if a bookmaker offers a 100% matched deposit welcome bonus, you will receive 100% of your first deposit with the bookmaker in free wagering cash. So as a new customer, if you deposit €100, you will receive an additional €100 free wagering cash – but know that the bonus will come with a rollover requirement.
Free bets can be offered as a part of the welcome bonus, but they're typically given to existing users randomly. Albania betting sites commonly give out free bets during big sporting events, and their size depends entirely on your betting activity.
If you regularly bet with €20, the bookmaker will give you €20 in free wagering cash – usually with a 1x rollover requirement. But know that there is a limit to how high the free bet bonus can go, and it depends on the bookmaker how much they're willing to give away as a part of the promotion.
Cashback bonuses and offers are very straightforward and are typically offered on accumulator bets. For example, bet 365 can have an offer running during the FIFA World Cup, where if you place a five-leg accumulator and miss just one selection, you'll get your money back.
VIP offers are promotions offered exclusively to existing users, who are rewarded for their activity. Many sportsbooks in Albania have VIP offers, which go by levels – the more you bet, the higher your VIP level and the better rewards you can get.
The VIP rewards range from free bets, enhanced odds, BOG offers, free money transfers, physical rewards, or free vacations. There is no limit to what a bookmaker can offer as a part of the VIP bonus.
So, now that we’ve gone through the ins and outs of the main bonus offers you can expect from the newly legalized betting sites, it’s time we get down to business. We’ll go through each of our top 10 picks for the best sportsbooks in Albania based on their betting markets, bonus offers, and everything else that makes them special.
With registered headquarters in Gzira, Malta, LVBET holds an MGA gaming license and is one of the safest sportsbooks in the European Union. It’s a popular option for Central European and Eastern European countries, as well, and it also accepts Albanian betting enthusiasts.
The platform has a dedicated sportsbook section, which can be accessed both through a dedicated app and via browsers. One option that particularly stands out is the Bet Builder feature, which allows you to take matters into your own hands and craft winning wagers.
Albanian punters can get the most out of a 100% bonus up to €50. Plus, there’s a €50 live betting boost along with a €5 free bet, making the offers at LVBET a desirable trade for every local bettor. You’ll also spot the “Superduper Bet,” which contains the highest odds on popular competitions like the EURO 2024, as well as boosted odds for selected events.
While we were looking into the best betting sites in Albania, 20Bet caught our attention, so we had to try it out. We weren’t disappointed — it has some of the best sports betting bonuses in the industry, starting with a 100% deposit match offer up to €100.
Plus, you get a free bet every week, and it’s possible to enroll in the “Forecast” program. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a top-tier tipster, make sure to try this one and predict up to 10 matches for a chance to grab €1,000. If you can’t make it and miss just one, you still get a €100 consolation prize. Your picks can involve anything from an Albanian Superliga match to UEFA Cups or EURO 2024 matches.
As one of the top-tier operators in Europe, 20Bet offers thousands of wagering options featuring matched betting, Asian handicaps, full-time/halftime wagers, double chance, totals, over/under bets, and others.
You’ll get to try some of the most popular sports in Albania, like football, volleyball, and handball, as well as some less-well-known options like Esports and virtual sports.
888Sport is yet another of those betting sites that got approved for Albanian bettors in 2024, and it’s one of the best picks you can go with. It’s not just about the €30 free bet bonus for newcomers who deposit at least €10 — it’s about the one-off betting boosts and the diversity of available wagers, as well.
You can access a whole section of matches with boosted odds on the home page or go with a €5 free bet you get after staking money on Wimbledon matches. It’s just one example of how seasonal free bet offers arrive at 888Sport.
Of course, there’s a similar promo for the EURO, and we expect the same to be the case for the Olympic Games and the new 2024/2025 football season. You also get to enroll in the Acca Club and get a new free bet every week as you place multiples with at least three events on your slip. Horse racing is not so popular in Albania, but here’s your chance to learn something new — 888Sport offers a handful of horse racing betting bonuses, so you can try this vertical for free.
With Luckster, Ireland’s top betting site, you get to experience how sports betting is done on the Emerald Isle. It’s completely safe for Albanian bettors since Luckster has recently expanded in Central and Eastern Europe with an MGA license to prove fair betting odds.
The site also allows you to take full control over your bets by cashing out whenever you please at the odds offered to you. It works for both single and accumulator bets, and all you have to do is click the “Cash Out” option when it works best for you.
Luckster has dozens of betting options across different sports, and more than 100 markets are available for major ones like football. You also get a 100% welcome bonus of up to €100 and specials for wagering on ongoing popular events like the EURO, Copa America, UFC 303, and Formula 1.
Care for a bit of crypto betting action? Say no more — Bitsler has everything you need for an immersive experience with your coins. There are no regulations on this type of betting in Albania, so you can safely access the site with your crypto wallet and make a deposit.
It welcomes you with a 200% sign-up bonus of up to €2,000, which is by far the biggest offer we’ve discussed so far. You also get monthly coupons, boosted odds, and special event bonuses. Another boost can come from referrals — for every wager placed by the referred bettor, regardless of its outcome, your account is credited with extra money.
You can also use the welcome offer to wager on Esports like CS:GO, virtual football, or virtual cricket. Of course, Bitsler has dozens of other sports you can go for in the in-play category and among upcoming matches. For example, you can use an NBA free bet or referral club bonuses to boost your betting balance and aim for big wins across different verticals.
CryptoBetSports is among the newest platforms on our list. As you might guess, this one also has a great crypto betting bonus of up to €2,500 on your first deposit via a 100% deposit match.
That means a lot since the sum even surpasses the sign-up offer you get at Bitsler, and you also receive a €5 free bet on top of it. If you’ve got what it takes for high-stakes wagering, the site will reward you with an instant VIP welcome bonus. It gives you a 125% deposit boost up to €5,000, as well as a €50 free bet to sweeten things up.
With a selection of 20+ sports to bet on, including in-play matches and more than 100 betting options for popular sports like football, CryptoBetSports is a prime destination to test your sports senses.
Paripesa is a one-of-a-kind sportsbook for Albanian customers since it allows you to experience a whole series of betting bonuses. It all starts with cashback offers for ongoing tournaments like EURO 2024 and goes on with the “Booster Bonus,” which awards punters with an extra boost for hitting their daily accumulator bets.
On top of that, Paripesa has an x2 Turbo Saturday bonus, which gives you an extra 100% deposit match boost, with minimum wagers starting at as low as €10. This platform even offers a bonus applied to a series of lost bets. If you predict 20 results in a row incorrectly, the site will give you a consolation prize as long as your odds don't exceed 3.00.
You can also use an Accumulator Bonus to get your odds boosted by 10%, while the Advancebet promo gives you extra betting funds if you’ve consumed most of your balance by placing active wagers.
Among betting options, you can go for football, tennis, ice hockey, basketball, and even some less-popular sports like arm wrestling and darts. There’s also the “Bet on your National Team” option, so if you had joined the site sooner, you could have placed a bet on Albania during EURO 2024.
Betspino is yet another newly-introduced site in Albania, and it instantly lets you download the betting app to get started. New bettors who do so gain the right to take part in tournaments and collect points for their successful wagers to obtain a chunk of the grand prize.
You also get a great €50 welcome bonus through the 50% deposit boost, and you can use it on bets featuring odds of at least 1.80, which is quite fair. You receive 50 free spins on slots either way, so at least you get to have some fun playing casino games when you use up your betting bonus.
Don’t worry, though — Betspino will immediately replace it with another promo, the Combo Boost bonus. All you need to do is place a combo wager on at least three events, and you get a 50% odds increase.
Things will get especially exciting once football leagues across Europe start this August since you can follow hundreds of live events and place in-play wagers. The top 240 punters get awarded through tournaments, so there are plenty of options for betting enthusiasts.
ClubRiches may not offer traditional sports betting picks, but it allows you to wager on 20 virtual sports, including horse racing, Italian Fast League, Pro Pong, and virtual dog racing.
The best thing is that you can try any of them for free by playing in demo mode. The lack of betting bonuses is compensated for by the available casino offers, and once you complete the wagering requirements, you can use the funds to wager on virtual sports.
Some of the best bonuses on this site include the Month End Extravaganza, 1st deposit 100% boost up to €1,000, and €500 promos on your second and third deposits. Among offered virtual sports, virtual tennis, dog racing, and horse racing are some of the best options, while virtual football is the closest you can get to football betting.
Gamdom is in a league of its own among Albanian sportsbooks since it allows you to place wagers on thousands of daily sports events. It doesn’t have a regular betting bonus, but you can grab an instant cashback and a Rakeback prize instead. The Royalty Club is especially rewarding, giving you the chance to win big through daily surprises and weekly and monthly cashback.
So, you get the best of both worlds with bonuses applicable for online betting and online casino games. Still, as we are only focusing on sportsbook deals, let’s check out the betting markets. The in-play betting option makes Gamdom worthy of being a dedicated crypto sportsbook, and you get to explore everything from regular sports markets to Esports.
Along with bet placement, you can track live results, place outright bets on upcoming events, and follow live statistics, which can help you form in-play wagers. Plus, the available Esports betting options are enough to keep you entertained for days. You can place stakes on CS:GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, Kings of Glory, Rainbow Six, eFootball, and others.
Additionally, there’s a whole series of virtual sports available here, starting with virtual table tennis and going all the way to eCricket and eBasketball.
📅 Sports Betting Legal Since: | Legal but strictly limited |
🏢 Regulatory Body: | Gambling Supervision Authority |
⚖️ Legal Acts: | Law no. 155/2015 |
🧾 Taxation: | Winnings are not taxable |
⚽ Favorite Sports to Bet on: | Football, basketball, tae kwon do, volleyball, swimming |
🏅 Widespread Tournaments\Competitions to Bet on: | Kategoria Superiore, Kupa e Shqipërisë, Liga Unike |
🎰 Other Popular Gambling Markets: | Poker, bingo, casinos, lotteries |
⭐ Most Popular Sportsbooks: | 20Bet, 22Bet, FreshBet |
Sportsbooks in Albania do an excellent job with their betting market coverage, as they don't limit local bettors on what they can bet on.
From offering betting markets on major sports leagues and all sports to covering local tournaments and competitions, websites that offer sports betting in Albania ensure that locals always have something to bet on.
Sports betting is very popular in Albania, especially in volleyball, football, swimming, and weightlifting, some of the country's most popular sports. And due to their popularity, betting sites take extra care to offer as many wagering markets on the sports as possible to satisfy the local punter's needs.
But even beyond the most popular sports, Albanian bettors aren't limited to what they can bet on. Due to the availability of international bookmakers like Bet365, locals can bet on any sport they want, even Esports, which is slowly gaining traction in the country.
Soccer is the world's most popular sport, and even Albania isn't immune to its global appeal. But not only does most of the population follow soccer, but this sport also makes up most of the Albanian betting handle.
Betting sites cover all popular soccer leagues, from the Premier League to K1 League, MLS, and local Kategoria Superiore. So if you want to bet on soccer from bookies in Albania, you won't be limited in your betting options.
Volleyball is a hugely popular sport in Albania, mainly due to the success of local teams. But not only that – volleyball is also one of the most bet-on sports in the country, which explains why all of the best sports betting sites offer volleyball betting.
In the global sports betting industry, swimming is somewhat of a niche sport, but that can't be further from the truth in Albania. Most bettors bet on swimming, and most sports fans follow the sport, especially at events featuring local athletes.
Finding a good swimming betting site is a bit trickier since not many people bet on this sport; however, all Albanian bookies have swimming betting markets for all major events and local competitions.
Weightlifting, like swimming, is a niche sport in the sports betting world, but it's one of the most bet-on sports in Albania. Several local weightlifting competitions are popular among bettors, yet most of the betting activity happens during the Summer Olympic Games.
In the same way, the best betting sites in Albania do an excellent job in offering betting markets on all sports; they also don't limit local bettors when it comes to the offer of betting markets on sports competitions. Sportsbooks will have betting markets ready if you want to bet on the biggest sports leagues like the NHL, NBA, Premier League, or lesser local events.
While the world's biggest leagues and competitions are still the most bet-on among Albanian bettors, local contests like the Kategoria Superiore and the Albanian Volleyball League are just as popular.
Esports betting was a niche activity just a decade ago, but nowadays, it's just as popular as sports betting. It also explains why all local bookmakers will have Esports betting markets – at least on the world's most popular Esports in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and League of Legends.
Yet out of all available Esports, CS:GO is by far the most popular among bettors, which mainly has to do with the success of the Albanian CS:GO team, Bad News Eagles, which played a big role in making CS:GO the country's most watched and bet-on Esport.
If you want to set yourself up for success while betting in Albania, you must register with the best sports betting sites. That's a very easy thing to do, but the trick is to know which are the top sportsbooks for you.
Here are a few things to consider when deciding which Albanian bookmakers to register with.
If you want access to the best odds while you bet online in Albania, signing up with several sportsbooks is the only way to achieve that. No one bookmaker will always have the best odds, and the sooner you realize that, the better.
The offered betting odds across all markets will differ from bookmaker to bookmaker, and you'll rarely find the same match priced at the same odds across all betting sites. For example, bet365 can have Denver Nuggets priced at 2.10 to defeat Los Angeles Lakers, while Union Bet will have the Nuggets priced at 2.15.
So if you plan to bet on the Nuggets, you'll naturally want to do it on Union Bet. Yet if you wish to place another bet on Premier League, Union Bet might not have the best offer, so you'll again have to use another bookmaker to get the best odds.
So if you're serious about betting and want access to the best betting odds, you'll have to sign up for several accounts with top sports betting sites. It is the only way you'll be able to price shop, i.e., look at all available markets and bet with the bookmaker with the best odds.
Until 2023, Albanian bettors were very limited in the payment methods they could use to deposit money on betting sites.
Still, those restrictions were lifted since online betting and gambling became legal. Nowadays, locals can deposit into their betting accounts with credit/debit cards or via a bank transfer; however, most prefer to use E-wallets such as Skrill and Neteller. That is because E-wallets tend to offer faster transactions
Deposits are executed within seconds and withdrawals rarely taking more than a couple of minutes.
In contrast, bank transfers can take several days to be processed and are slowly going out of fashion.
Every modern betting website has to have a way for its customers to bet from their phones. They usually achieve that by offering a dedicated mobile website, yet it's nowadays expected that all sportsbooks also have a mobile betting app.
100% up to u₿50000
T&Cs Apply
|
|
100% up to $600
T&Cs Apply
|
|
4.8
Bet £10 get £30 in free bets
T&Cs Apply
|
Across the best betting sites, you'll find both options, but the trend is going towards all bookmakers having their betting app. In contrast to a mobile website, an app is far more convenient to use. It's more stable, designed to work well on phones, and has added features that make betting from your phone more enjoyable – such as notifications.
So if you're a mobile bettor, you should register with bookmakers that have betting apps. And make sure that you're downloading the official version – from Google Play, App Store, or the sportsbooks' website.
Live betting is very popular online because it can be highly profitable. Especially if you're knowledgeable about the sport or league you intend to bet on, you stand to make a nice profit, mainly because bookmakers are relatively inefficient when setting their live odds.
But to live bet, you must first sign up with live betting sites with a solid offer of in-play markets. Luckily, most betting sites in Albania do, yet not all have a reliable live-streaming service.
Any serious in-play bettors should use only bookmakers with good live-streaming options since this allows you to follow the action and place bets quickly. Of course, you could use another streaming service to follow the step, but if you want to bet live, it’s far more convenient to have live streams on the sportsbook.
Gambling and online betting were made illegal in Albania in 2019 due to the serious concerns about gambling addiction and match-fixing, which was running rampant in the country. But after four years, the government decided to re-introduce legal betting.
As of January 1, 2023, online sports betting is back on the menu for local bettors. With the needed legal framework, locals can now be free without any fear of getting persecuted for placing an online bet.
The country has yet to start issuing local betting licenses; however, that has its advantages since locals can bet online on all sportsbooks that accept Albanian customers. And that includes mainly international bookmakers such as one Bet, Extra Bet, Unic Bet, 1xBet, Bet111, Bet 07, and bet365.
Below there are some international companies and organizations that can help you in case you are struggling against gambling problems in Albania.
Gambling and sports betting were made illegal in Albania in 2019 when the government decided to shut down the industry due to the growing gambling addiction and serious issues with match-fixing. As a result, the regulatory authority (The Electronic and Postal Communications Authority or AKEP) blocked nearly 2000 websites where you could place an online bet and heaps of casinos that offered online gambling.
And due to the rising tensions, most sportsbooks decided to leave Albania as they weren't ready to deal with the hassle imposed by the strict rules. Moreover, in 2019, Albania blocked all online Albanian sportsbooks and most land-based bookmakers and casinos – except if they were located in a hotel.
Despite the complete cut-off of all gambling and betting, the government decided to re-introduce online betting in Albania at the start of 2023. The decision was made in hopes that online betting activity would generate some much-needed revenue to help Albania control its debt due to the rising energy amid the global crisis.
It's estimated that over €17 million will be collected through taxes each year; however, the exact numbers of how much Albanian bookies will generate for the country remain uncertain.
The future of online betting in Albania looks significantly better than four years ago, when the government shut down all online betting and gambling, forcing local bettors to jump through many hoops to place a bet.
And considering the decision which led the government to re-introduced online betting (revenue through taxes), it's fair to expect that Albania isn't banned from wagering anytime soon.
Before we end our article, here are some interesting facts about betting in Albania and sports in the country you should know about.
It concludes our article on the best Albanian betting sites and the situation of online wagering in the country. If you've read so far, you know everything there is to know about online betting in Albania, so you're now ready to visit the best sports betting sites and start wagering with BetZillion.
Remember to take betting in moderation and never bet with more than you can afford to lose.