Online Gambling in Bulgaria
Background
Prior to 2012, the Bulgarian online gambling market was largely unregulated and fragmented. Existing gambling laws were outdated and primarily focused on land-based gambling activities, with little to no provisions for online gambling.
The market was treated by operators as grey and Bulgarian players could bet online at any website of their choosing. Some good. Many bad. And none required to pay taxes to the government on Bulgarian player losses, which was likely the catalyst toward new laws.
The drafting of the The Gambling Act of 2012 (the Act) began in the late 2000s, influenced by similar legislation in other EU countries. After several rounds of consultations with industry stakeholders, legal experts, and public officials, the Act was passed by the Bulgarian National Assembly and came into force in January 2012.
The first operators to be awarded licenses under the new regulations began taking bets online later that year.
Current Regulations
The online gambling market in Bulgaria is governed under the Act and overseen by the National Revenue Agency (NRA, formerly by the State Commission on Gambling before its dissolution in 2020). Key aspects of the regulations are as follows:
- Licensing: Operators wishing to participate in the market can only do so under license from the NRA. Different types of licenses are issued depending on the type of gambling offered, such as sports betting, casino games, lotteries, and poker. Licenses are provided for a 5 year term, renewable on application.
- Advertising: All promotional materials must include responsible gambling messages and cannot be targeting toward minors or vulnerable groups. Bonuses and promotional offers must be clearly communicated with transparent terms and conditions to avoid misleading consumers.
- Tax: Operators are subject to a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR). This applies to all forms of online gambling, including sports betting, casino games, and poker
- Enforcement: The NRA maintains an extensive blacklist of unlicensed gambling sites and makes efforts to prevent Bulgarian player access to these sites via ISP blocking. Prosecution of unlicensed sites is attempted where jurisdiction permits.
Major Operators
Bulgaria’s online gambling market is served by a mix of domestic and international operators. Key players include:
- Efbet: Efbet are one of the earliest licensed operators in Bulgaria, having been active in the market since the introduction of the Act in 2012. Efbet offer a broad range of online gambling products.
- Winbet: Winbet also obtained its licenses shortly after the implementation of the Act and has become one of the dominant operators in the Bulgarian market since then.
- Bet365: Bet365 entered Bulgaria’s regulated online gambling market under license in 2016 and has been a prominent player since offering its full suite of gambling products from sports betting to live casino games.
- Betway: One of the more recent entrants, Betway secured licenses to offer sports betting and casino games in 2022.
- Bwin: Bwin first became licensed around 2016, when it re-entered the Bulgarian market after withdrawing in previous years due to regulatory changes. It now offers a comprehensive range of gambling services, live dealer included.
