Bulgaria Moves Toward Near-Total Ban on Gambling Advertising

The Budget and Finance Committee of Bulgaria unanimously backed the Gambling Act bill prepared by the government. The bill would ban almost all gambling advertising and end affiliate licensing. If the bill enters into force, affiliate licences will expire on 1 January 2027. This change means that operators selling in the Bulgarian market will lose most of their marketing channels.

The Council of Ministers approved the bill on 11 November 2026 and sent it to Parliament the same day. The restrictions would cover every medium and target not only gambling itself but also operators and their brands. Foreign online operators would be required to maintain a place of business in Bulgaria. At physical venues, bright signs and images in the windows of casinos and gaming halls would also be banned.

The committee's support marks a sharp reversal from its earlier position. In July 2026, Parliament rejected a similar full advertising ban and a tax increase. The Radev government had opened the way for affiliate licences in August 2026. Ending affiliate promotion would reverse that decision. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that when the draft was opened for public consultation, it amounted to a de facto total ban on gambling advertising, and that the government did not want aggressive marketing to reach children and young people. The consultation process ended on 23 October 2026. The lead committee for the bill is the Budget and Finance Committee, and six other committees are also taking part in the discussions.

Rozalina Yordanova of the Bulgarian Gaming Association told the committee that unlicensed land-based gambling is almost nonexistent in the country and that the problem comes from online platforms. Yordanova also objected to the proposed 20 percent land-based levy, which would be calculated on the stake minus the winnings paid out. In her view, this model fits online gambling much more than land-based operators.

The fee structure points to a much more expensive market. According to Yogonet, the online betting licence will cost 400,000 euros and the five-year casino operator licence will cost 300,000 euros. The contribution to gambling addiction prevention will rise to 60,000 euros per year for online betting. For casino games, the amount is set at 20,000 euros, and for other types of gambling, 10,000 euros.

Although the bill was adopted unanimously, the details are not yet settled. GERB-SDS MP Desislava Taneva supported setting up a working group to improve the texts and said that player behaviour should also be addressed. MPs will form this working group to review the three bills before the first and second readings.