Bulgaria plots major gambling shake-up with new legislation

Bulgaria’s gambling industry could be in line for a major shake-up after the country’s coalition government introduced twin legislatory bills to revamp the market.

Under the terms of the first bill, proposed by the National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB) party, land-based casinos would be limited to 10 large integrated resort hotels that would be required to be located within 20km of the Bulgarian border.

In addition, 638 existing casinos and gambling halls would be forced to close no later than the end of 2025 under the bill, which is aimed at combatting growing gambling-related harm in Bulgaria.

Reports in Bulgaria claim that NFSB leader Valeri Simeonov is also reportedly looking to restore a punitive 15% tax on online betting operator turnover, which was ended by assembly decree in 2013.

Elsewhere, Bulgaria’s GERB party, coalition partners with the NFSB, has introduced its own bill allowing the state-owned Bulgarian sports tote to operate online casino gambling for the first time.

In addition, the GERB party bill also calls for an end to the Bulgaria State Gambling Commission, with the regulator replaced by a state gambling agency “in line with world and European regulatory standards”.

The new body would be overseen by the Bulgarian council of ministers, under the control of a chairman and vice chair, which will be appointed if the bill passes into law.

It would be allowed to issue licences to operators and suppliers, as well as develop new regulations and certification standards.

A country-wide self-exclusion register and obligations for operators to promote responsible betting and gambling addiction treatment services are also included within the bill.

The bill suggests players would be allowed to voluntarily self-exclude from all Bulgarian-licensed sites for a maximum of two years.

Both bills will now pass to the Bulgarian National Assembly for debate before possible passage into law.