Balkans
Albanian Police Crackdown on Betting Shops
Albanian police have cracked down on people operating illegal betting shops. More than 1500 police took part in the operation in Tirana and seven other cities.
Police arrested 115 people and 26 others are being investigated. They are the owners, managers or employees of the shops. Police also seized 17.2 million leks ($150,000) and hundreds of computers and other electronic devices.
In 2018, Albania’s parliament voted to remove gambling from residential areas to curb its spread. Casinos are now only allowed in a few large hotels, while there are no legal shops taking bets on sports and racing.