Softa: Many families in Albania destroyed by gambling

Many families in Albania have been destroyed by gambling, which was one of the reasons why the state attempted to ban betting, says former director of the Albanian State Police, Lieutenant Colonel Fatjon Softa. He notes that more and more young people are turning to betting shops to earn money and fund their entertainment, but once they fall into debt, they begin dealing drugs or engaging in other criminal activities.

"There are many families in Albania that have been destroyed by gambling and by people's desire to recover the money they have lost. Financial losses caused dramas and tragedies because people went into debt and ruined their families. That was one of the reasons why Albania tried to ban betting. We are talking about sports betting organized by the state, and what Albania did by banning it created financial damage because that money circulates outside the banking system, and this is an activity that criminal groups also exploit," Softa told Kosovo Online.

According to him, gambling is a vice in which age does not matter, so an increasing number of young people in Albania are betting because they want to earn money, build capital, and have fun.

However, he notes that in doing so they push their families into serious debt.

"This makes the situation even sadder because the lack of financial resources and the desire to have money drive them to engage in such activities and create family problems. There are families that cannot cope financially with these situations, and there have even been cases where people sold their homes," Softa said.

Young people, he adds, become involved in criminal activities, drug trafficking, or other illegal pursuits in order to obtain money for gambling.

"Because of the need for money, or to recover money lost through betting, gambling addiction develops," Softa concluded.

This security expert also points out that in Albania people place bets not only when the national team is playing, but also during European and World Championships.

"The World Cup definitely has an impact because it is a very important sporting event, and betting increases as the group stage progresses. From the group stage to the knockout phase, both the intensity and the financial value of bets increase," Softa observes.

He stressed that there have been many abuses related to gambling in Albania, which have even led to conflicts between political parties.

"It started with Ervis Martinaj (who disappeared several years ago and is believed to have been killed), who was known as the 'king of gambling,' and continued with operations carried out by the Ministry of Interior, which led to the seizure of gambling premises. Equipment was removed from those premises, but the servers were not found due to the sophistication of the operation and the fact that those involved in gambling had placed the servers far away rather than inside the facilities, so they were not captured by security cameras," Softa said.

He explained that the Albanian government sought to create a legal framework, initially banning gambling in order to later reintroduce it in a new form with an improved legal framework, but ultimately allowed only a small number of politically favored individuals to operate casinos.

"The government allowed casino operations, but now it does not allow every businessman to engage in them. Instead, it concentrates them in the hands of a small number of people. The prime minister said that casinos are permitted only in five-star hotels. The fact that five-star hotels have casinos shows that there is support here for major businessmen who are politically favored. This means that very few people have the right to organize such activities. However, people who have money and the habit of gambling always find a place and a way to engage in games of chance," Softa concluded.