Albania Plans Nationwide Shutdown of Betting Shops

The Parliamentary Commission on the Economy on Tuesday approved proposed legislation that is intended to close down betting shops across Albania.

Parliament is expected to vote it into law on next Thursday - a measure cautiously welcomed by the public but not by the country's large betting industry.

The opposition claims meanwhile that the legislation is intended to create a monopoly for a newly-founded company that has a license to operate an online betting service.

Speaking in parliament, the head of the commission, Erjon Brace, said MPs have received "criminal threats" over the proposed law.

Responding to opposition claims, the Parliamentary Commission added a new clause in the proposed law including the closure of the country's sole online betting service.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama caught the public off guard on October 10 when he unexpectedly announced a proposal to close down all the betting shops and electronic casinos in the country by the first day of January 2019.

"In the territory of the Republic of Albania, after January 1, there will be no betting shop or electronic casino," Rama said.

For about two weeks after the announcement, the powerful gambling industry in the country stayed silent, refusing to comment publicly, apparently preferring to negotiate behind the scenes.

But on Monday, an association representing the industry sent an open letter to the government, urging the authorities to not close down betting shops but offering to cut their number by half by 2019 and to further lower the number over the next several years "until they reach a normal situation for a democratic country".

At a press conference on Monday, the association also threatened a legal challenge, claiming a legitimate...

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