Will advertising loopholes take centre stage in Bulgaria’s Gambling Act review?

Bulgaria is coming to grips with poorly written gambling legislation, and the sector is entering a new phase of regulatory and public scrutiny. With the Government reviewing the Gambling Act, criticism is mounting over the enforcement of advertising restrictions, while authorities appear determined to fix the loophole-riddled regulatory framework.

But what could the ongoing review of Bulgaria’s Gambling Act actually change for the sector?

Will Bulgaria’s Gambling Act review put advertising rules in focus?

In July, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Finance began a comprehensive review of the country’s Gambling Act. Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova noted that repeated amendments introduced through unrelated legislation had created inaccuracies that could take years to correct.

Secondary regulations had weakened enforcement of billboard rules, including requirements governing the distance between gambling advertisements and schools or kindergartens. It is important to note that there are other gaps in advertising regulations besides outdoor advertising. The Finance Minister indicated that a comprehensive review of gambling advertising regulations is currently underway.

Current gambling advertising practices in Bulgaria are facing strong public, political and media backlash. As a result, this may be the area where the Gambling Act review receives the most attention.

The review will also address other gaps in secondary legislation, including rules on online play periods, loss and stake limits, protections for players under 24 and gambling addiction treatment.

What does the gambling ad ban introduced in 2024 include?

In 2024, Bulgaria implemented far-reaching restrictions on gambling advertising. The amended Gambling Act established an almost complete ban on advertising across traditional media, including TV and radio, as well as public spaces and online platforms.

The legislation places a 300-metre distance limit on billboards near schools and requires all ads to include a large warning, occupying at least 10% of the ad space, stating that gambling can lead to addiction.

However, limited advertising is still permitted under strict conditions. Exceptions include media under foreign jurisdiction and social media platforms.

Gambling advertising is permitted on sports equipment and facilities. Operators are also allowed to sponsor sporting events. Branding-only communications, such as logos, domain names and product placement, can be compliant if they do not directly encourage participation.

Criticism of weak enforcement of gambling ad ban

During the World Cup, opposition politicians, media and the public criticised gambling advertising on Bulgarian National Television (BNT). BNT defended the broadcasts, saying they did not directly encourage viewers to bet and were linked to sponsorship partnerships.

CEM member Simona Veleva said BNT could not afford major sporting events under its current funding model without advertising revenue, while noting that enforcement of gambling advertising rules falls to the National Revenue Agency (NRA).

CEM Chairwoman Gabriela Naplatanova said the regulator had referred 77 cases to the NRA between May 2024 and 8 July, 2026, including 21 involving BNT 1 and BNT 3.

Furthermore, another CEM member, Prolet Velkova, said some non-linear media outlets were deregistering from the regulator to avoid gambling advertising sanctions. Parliamentary committee chairman Anton Kutev said the issues stem from gaps in the legislation and called for legal reforms.

Multiple local media outlets have also reported that gambling ads continue to appear online in various forms and on billboards.

Since the restrictions were introduced in 2024, the NRA has issued 26 enforcement notices for violations of the rules, mostly involving land-based advertising. Based on these acts, penal decrees have been issued and appealed, with no final court decisions yet, according to the Ministry of Finance.

As stated above, the Finance Minister said gambling advertising rules are undergoing a comprehensive review. He promised that if gaps or ambiguities are identified, the rules will be refined, including those concerning the scope and restrictions on outdoor advertising.

Will gambling ads be further restricted?

Opposition party MP Chilo Popov said he aims to introduce a bill to significantly restrict gambling advertising. He expressed hope that the bill would receive support. However, this seems unlikely. In July, the Ministry of Finance already rejected opposition proposals to raise gambling taxes and introduce further restrictions on advertising.

Thus, it is possible that the Gambling Act review will simply address the loopholes mentioned earlier in this piece. The following conclusion is a long stretch, but this might be enough to silence criticism from opposition politicians, the public and the media, since the current framework already imposes strong restrictions that are, however, being circumvented.

What about recent regulatory changes for gambling affiliates?

In late July, Bulgaria introduced new rules for gambling affiliates including a licensing framework.  Both local and foreign entities are allowed to operate under a regulated framework, on condition that they obtain a licence. Foreign affiliates must appoint a Bulgaria-based representative to engage with authorities and courts.

Global Gaming Insider has recently been in touch with Bulgarian legal experts, who explained to us that the overall direction is toward a more regulated, transparent a,nd consolidated market. Furthermore, they noted that non-compliant entities might face strict penalties.

Those interested in this topic should stay tuned for the next Trafficology issue, which will feature an interview with these professionals.

So, where is Bulgaria’s gambling regulation heading?

Rather than introducing a completely new regulatory model, authorities are focusing on addressing weaknesses in the existing system.

This might just be the right approach, as it could be easier to close existing loopholes when authorities are already aware of how some actors are circumventing them, rather than drafting an entirely new law that could once again risk introducing ambiguities.

Meanwhile, advertising regulations are not expected to face extreme restrictions, as hinted by the Ministry of Finance.  Furthermore, regulating affiliates also suggests that gambling promotion activities are not targeted by lawmakers in power.

Affiliate regulations represent a further step toward covering additional parts of the gambling ecosystem.  Taken together, these developments suggest that Bulgaria is determined to clean up regulatory omissions and establish a more robust, broader framework.