Online gambling becomes legal

TIRANA, April 30 – Parliament approved this week some changes to the gambling law which also legalizes on-line gambling, currently available only for sports betting as an illegal activity which did not generate income for government. Under the changes to the gambling law, people aged 18 and over can also play in online casinos in companies licensed by the Finance Ministry through the Supervision Unit of the Games of Chance. Online gambling activities will pay a total of 2.7 percent of turnover in taxes of which 0.5 percent to the Supervisory Unit, 2 percent in taxes and 0.2 percent to local government units where they are held.While a new tax on casinos which continue operating in downtown Tirana has entered into force, casino owners seem to prefer continuing paying more rather than displacing their businesses outside the capital and paying less in taxes. Tirana Municipality officials say they expect to collect 600 million lek from gambling businesses in 2013 following the implementation of the new tax.
Under the Tirana Municipality decision, all people licensed to operate in gambling activities in Tirana will be imposed the temporary gambling tax whose rates have been divided into three zones.
For casinos and electronic casinos, the temporary tax rate until June 30, 2013 will vary from 500 lek/m2 to 1,000 lek/m2 based on three zones known as A, B and C on Tirana’s map. After June 30, the temporary tax rate will increase from 5,000 lek/m2 to 10,000 lek/m2.
For other gambling activities such as sport betting, national lotteries and traditional and TV bingos the tax rate has been set at 5,000 lek/month.
The municipal council decision foresees casinos will be transferred to the former auto-tractors plant in Shkoza, which is a Tirana Municipality property. For transfers within June 30, 2013 casinos will be reimbursed 100 percent and for transfers until September 2013 the reimbursement will be at 50 percent of the new tax.
Some 20 licensed electronic casinos with 81 slot-machine halls operate in Tirana. Seven sport betting companies with 801 points of sales and ten bingos also operate in the capital, according to the Gambling Supervisory Unit.