Bulgaria lawmakers advance gambling advertising and tax bills
Regulation2 min read
Bulgaria’s National Assembly will consider three bills after unanimous committee approval on 12 November, including proposals from Finance Minister Galab Donev and opposition parties. The measures would tighten gambling advertising rules and restructure taxes and licence fees, including a proposed €100,000 monthly fee for smaller remote betting operators from 2028.
Three gambling bills have advanced to further reading in the National Assembly following unanimous committee approval on 12 November. The measures under consideration in Bulgaria include a broad advertising ban and changes to gambling taxes and licensing fees.
Deputy prime minister and finance minister Galab Donev submitted one bill, while minority opposition parties Democratic Bulgaria and We Continue the Change tabled the others. The measures would ban advertising of gambling games, operators and their brands, but Donev’s bill would allow sports organisations to retain gambling sponsorships. It would also allow sponsorships supporting culture, education and healthcare. Affiliate companies could have to close their Bulgarian operations if the rules take effect, following the introduction of an affiliate licensing regime in August 2026.
A proposed state tax with two components would apply to smaller remote betting operators from 2028. The sector would pay a flat €100,000 licence fee each month alongside a gross gaming revenue tax whose rate is unspecified. Currently, online casino and sports betting are taxed at 25% of gross gaming revenue, while corporate tax is 10%. The proposed system would replace both taxes, and an interim provision would raise corporate tax between 2027 and 2028. Under the proposal, land-based casinos and gaming halls would pay a one-off €50,000 equipment licence fee for five years. A portion of the additional money raised is intended to support gambling addiction prevention, particularly education for young people.
Donev’s bill would require foreign betting sites to have a physical place of business in Bulgaria. It would also impose a mandatory levy on companies and institutions that process and facilitate gambling payments.
A consolidated version of the bills must still pass through the National Assembly. Bozhanov said the task between the first and second readings would be to close loopholes in the final texts.