Betfair gets Bulgaria go-ahead
Sportsbook and exchange operator granted operating licences along with local bookie Eurofootball
Betfair has been given the green light to launch its range of sports and casino products in the ring-fenced Bulgarian market, eGaming Review can reveal.
The award of separate remote licences for sports betting and casino games will see Betfair become the first UK-based operator to launch in Bulgaria since the opening of the regulated market in 2013.
The sports betting licence includes the provision for exchange betting meaning Betfair will also become the first operator to offer the product legally within the country.
Betfair has been joined on the licensed register by Bulgarian bookie Eurofootball, bringing the total number of licence holders up to five.
The pair have joined poker giant Pokerstars, Malta-based Eurofootball (efbet) and State-owned Sport Toto, with the former having gained its licence last week.
The recent spike in licence awards comes after Bulgaria’s State Commission on Gambling revamped the country’s tax regime on 1 January, switching from a tax on revenues to a 20% levy on gross gaming revenues.
Due to the change, the regulator has been readying itself for an influx of licence applications and last month appointed player protection agency eCOGRA to assist with the testing of new products.
Betfair declined to comment on this article.
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