Bulgaria Bans Gambling Ads, Tightens Regulations
The Bulgarian administration has decided to prohibit advertisements for wagering activities.
The legislation, which was presented last week, intends to revise Bulgaria’s gambling regulations. It suggests prohibiting wagering advertisements on the internet, on television, radio, and in printed publications. Moreover, the legislation states that advertisements are not permitted to be displayed on structures.
The legislation was jointly presented by the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
The new rules appear to be coming into effect shortly. Yesterday (April 30), approximately 198 members of parliament voted in favor of the legislation in a second reading session, with no absences or abstentions.
The passage of the legislation signifies that it will become effective three days after it is published in the State Gazette. It is not yet clear when this will occur.
What are the new guidelines in Bulgaria?
The legislation seeks to modify Bulgaria’s gambling regulations. The legislation incorporates various other modifications to the country’s laws, with the new advertising being the primary amendment.
Besides specifying where advertisements cannot be displayed, the legislation also includes information about where advertisements are permitted to be displayed. Advertisements are only permitted on billboards situated more than 100 meters away from educational institutions, and on the structures of gaming halls and casinos.
Nevertheless, this prohibition does not pertain to television broadcasts of Bulgarian sports lottery drawings.
Commercials are required to incorporate responsible gambling details, which must constitute at least 10% of each advertisement, to furnish consumers with pertinent information. The legislation specifies that operators who infringe upon the new regulations will confront fines of up to 50,000 Bulgarian leva (£21,842 / €25,565 / $27,285). Repeat offenders could also have their licenses rescinded in Bulgaria.
The Electronic Media Council will monitor adherence to the regulations and will report any breaches to the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA).
Additional Modifications to the Gambling Law
Other provisions included in the now-approved bill encompass increasing the capital necessary for companies to apply for slot machine permits. This will escalate from 500,000 Bulgarian leva to 750,000 Bulgarian leva.
The bill also mandates that slot machines and casino gaming can only transpire in areas with a population exceeding 10,000, excluding national resort zones and border regions. The Romanian Parliament adopted a similar proposal earlier this month.
Concurrently, licensees must now remit a “social responsibility fee,” established at 100,000 Bulgarian leva for online gambling. 50% of this will be allocated to the Ministry of Health to facilitate treatment and support for gambling addicts.
Bulgaria: A Booming Gaming Sector
Additional modifications encompass barring individuals receiving public assistance from withdrawing their names from the national self-exclusion gaming registry.
Following the dissolution of the National Gambling Commission in Bulgaria in 2020, the NRA assumed responsibility for overseeing gambling activities within the nation. Throughout the preceding year, the NRA has implemented a series of measures to enhance the regulation of the gaming industry.
In August of the preceding year, the NRA established a novel anti-money laundering division to enforce anti-money laundering directives. This encompasses crucial aspects such as client verification and transaction monitoring.
Likewise, in the previous year, the NRA instructed operators to prohibit self-excluded employees from entering casinos or gaming establishments.
These recent initiatives represent merely a portion of the most recent adjustments to Bulgarian gaming regulations.
Sign up for the iGaming newsletter.