The Ministry of Sport is preparing to change the leadership of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator (BST), with the move expected to take effect on 1 April. By order of Sports Minister Dimitar Iliev, four members of the Totalizator’s management board, including Executive Director Lyubomir Petrov, are being replaced.
The Ministry said it cannot work with a management team that supported policies aimed at transferring the BST into private ownership. It stated that it does not support such policies and maintains that the organisation should continue to operate as a state-owned entity with an important public role.
Outgoing BST Executive Director Petrov has said there is no legal basis for the changes and claims that the new leadership was not selected through a competitive process. He has challenged the minister’s decision in court, although this does not suspend its implementation.
Petrov has also described the change as unjustified, arguing that the BST is currently operating efficiently, with strong profits and prospects of joining the Eurojackpot network.
The current management suspects that the development of the Sports Totalizator is being sabotaged or that there is an attempt to gain control of cash reserves of around €100m ($114.9m). Some senior employees have reportedly indicated they may leave alongside Petrov.
As a result of the leadership changes, payouts of winnings over €5,000 have been temporarily suspended, affecting lottery winners, including high-value prize holders.
The Ministry clarified that the Minister of Sports has no authority to interfere in the operational independence of commercial companies, including the BST, which are managed by their own governing bodies under the Commercial Act.
To ensure legal compliance, the Minister issued a letter advising that no payments should be made until the newly appointed board members are officially registered. Once this is completed, payments are expected to resume in line with the law.
In 2025, BST reported a 10.6% year-on-year increase in total revenue to BGN 472m, while revenue generated for the state rose by 10.2% to BGN 104m
