Gambling closure, activity to cease december 31

Gambling closure, activity to cease december 31

The Parliamentary Economy Committee approves the draft law on closing sports bets and racing bets on races on 31 December 2018 and suspending all license requirements.

The draft law entered into an accelerated procedure in parliament and on Thursday it is expected to vote with some changes.

Finance Minister Arben Ahmetaj said the bill stops the activity of electronic casinos but also the sports betting section.

“The government has an official position on December 31, 2018, closing casinos, sports betting, sports and animal racing, bingo halls and online gambling,” said Arben Ahmetaj.

The commission also approved two additional proposals by the MP Ervin Bushati. It is a supplement to Article 1 of the law that states that organization and development pass to the state, which is in line with a variant discussed earlier this week.

Article 1

“Realization of development and intermediation of gambling and lottery betting is the responsibility of the state.”

Article 2

1- Preventing addiction to gambling and betting and creating the appropriate conditions for an effective fight against this addiction controlling this dependence on supervised channels to prevent their spread in the black counter market to provide youngsters and players.

2- Controlling of this dependence on supervised channels to prevent black market spreading

3- The reaction to providing young people and players

4- Ensuring that gambling is conducted in accordance with the provisions of this law and ensuring that players are protected against deceptive practices that are related to crime

5- Prevent threats to the integrity of sports competition, through the activity of sporting outcomes, that is, that enters the sports games.

“I want to believe me that these people who are here and others who are not in this hall, but will be on Thursday in the Assembly of the Republic of Albania, have tried throughout these days the maximum criminal pressure of certain segments that they administer today gambling activity.

“Here they are, do not stop and today they deserve respect for the act and their vote in the Assembly hall,” said Erion Braçe.

The proposal for banning audiovisual sports betting ads and written media was also approved.

EMISIONET