Bulgaria plans “complete ban” on gambling advertising

Bulgaria’s government is preparing a near-total ban on gambling advertising and plans to tighten regulation of the sector, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Wednesday, as the government seeks greater transparency, fairer taxation and measures to curb gambling addiction.

“The first major change is advertising. We are introducing a complete ban on gambling advertising. We do not want gambling to be in front of Bulgarian citizens every day, reaching young people and children,” Radev said.

The government is expected to publish amendments to the Gambling Act for public consultation. The proposed changes would also introduce a new taxation model for the sector and tighten state oversight.

The gambling industry’s turnover in Bulgaria has increased by around 50% over the past three years, rising from €22 billion to a mind blowing €33 billion in 2025, according to data cited by the government. The official net profit is above €1 billion.

More than 50,000 Bulgarians have registered in the National Revenue Agency’s register of vulnerable people seeking to restrict their access to gambling. Experts and organisations working on addiction, however, say the actual number of people affected by gambling addiction is considerably higher.

Bulgaria’s gambling industry has considerable influence both domestically and abroad, particularly in neighbouring Romania, where several scandals in recent years have involved Bulgarian businesspeople linked to the sector.

In June, a Bulgarian citizen identified by the initials R.D.M. was arrested in Romania on allegations of bribing officials from the country’s gambling authority. The case triggered a major corruption and political scandal that reached the inner circle of Bucharest Mayor Ciprian Ciucu.

Sports sponsorship to remain

Under the government’s plans, gambling companies would retain only a limited possibility to promote their businesses through sponsorship of sport, including advertising on sports kits and facilities.

“The lights on the façades of casinos and gambling halls are so bright and provocative that the cities and villages of Bulgaria have started to look like Las Vegas. That is why we are banning these advertisements as well,” Radev said.

“We are introducing a new philosophy under which the state will tax gambling,” he added.

The government also plans to increase taxes on online gambling, with part of the additional revenue earmarked for sport and education.

Radev’s Progress Bulgaria party also wants all foreign gambling operators licensed to operate in Bulgaria to register their financial activity in the country.

“Anyone who operates on the Bulgarian market and makes money from it will report here, pay taxes here and be subject to full control by the Bulgarian state,” Radev said.

Opposition had called for tighter restrictions

The government’s plans follow a campaign by the liberal opposition parties Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria for a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising.

Changes to the Gambling Act adopted in 2024 were also intended to impose sweeping restrictions on gambling advertising, but opposition politicians argue that the rules have been circumvented and insufficiently enforced.

The current law bans gambling advertising across television, radio, public places, print and electronic media, while allowing limited exceptions, including certain outdoor advertising and sports sponsorship.

“Gambling has become an epidemic. The changes adopted in 2024 introduced serious restrictions, but they are being circumvented and not enforced. The state is failing to implement them. That is why today we are introducing changes to close all loopholes and ban gambling advertising everywhere and in every form,” said Bozhidar Bozhanov, co-chair of Yes, Bulgaria.

Democratic Bulgaria is also proposing a ban on the use of cash terminals to fund online gambling accounts before users’ identities have been verified.

The opposition is additionally calling for a ban on gambling transactions using cryptocurrencies.

The latest proposals come after the Finance Ministry acknowledged in August that it was reviewing the Gambling Act, including the rules governing outdoor advertising, and considering further legislative amendments.

Caption: A billboard advertising online gambling in a Sofia district. The mandatory warning that gambling can lead to addiction is barely readable. [Photo credit Georgi Gotev]