Bulgaria Opposition Demands Tighter Rules in Gambling Ad Ban Draft

^{Bulgaria's government is drafting sweeping changes to the Gambling Act, including a near-total advertising ban. (Photo: Swedish National Heritage Board / Wikimedia Commons)}

An opposition leader in Bulgaria has called for lawmakers to close what he described as "loopholes" in a draft overhaul of the country's gambling advertising rules before it becomes law.

Assen Vassilev, chairman of the We Continue the Change (PP) party, said at a news conference in parliament that the government's proposed near-total ban on gambling advertising leaves some routes open for operators to keep a marketing presence despite the sweeping new restrictions.

Draft Bill Would Ban Most Gambling Ads

The draft amendments to Bulgaria's Gambling Act, now out for public consultation, would prohibit gambling advertising signs "regardless of the form, method or place of dissemination," with narrow exceptions for information needed to organise or participate in games on an operator's own website or at licensed premises, and for broadcast of Bulgarian state lottery draws.

Sports sponsorship would remain permitted under specified conditions, including branding on equipment and facilities, but the draft would exclude products or materials aimed at people under 18, and would stop broadcasters from digitally inserting a sponsor's name or trademark beyond signage physically present at a venue.

Opposition Says Marketing Could Still Slip Through

Vassilev said betting outlets themselves had been left out of the restrictions, even though a large share of gambling advertising space sits on the facades of such premises, and that the draft's exceptions for sports facilities created another avenue operators could use.

"We will propose that all of this be banned, so that there is a real ban on gambling advertising," Vassilev said, adding that fines for violations had not been increased and that the draft's definition of a trademark should be expanded to close off workarounds.

The proposal follows pressure from across Bulgaria's opposition. Democratic Bulgaria and We Continue the Change had earlier this month tabled a bill to ban gambling advertising in all its forms, before the government opened its own public consultation on a near-total gambling ad ban in response.

The draft legislation also proposes sharply higher licensing fees, including a rising variable component on gross gaming revenue reaching 22% from 2028, and a requirement that online betting operators maintain a registered permanent establishment and central computer systems physically located in Bulgaria by 30 June 2027, or face licence revocation.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev has said he supports introducing a complete ban on gambling advertising with only a narrow sports-related exception, a position that goes further than the draft currently out for consultation. Parliament has not yet set a date to debate the amended bill.

Bulgaria's Gambling Act was last substantially updated in 2024, and the industry has grown quickly since then, with several operators expanding their retail and online footprint across the country. The National Gambling Industry Association, which represents licensed operators, has been tracking the draft legislation closely given the scale of the proposed fee increases alongside the advertising restrictions.

The timing of the debate matters for operators already licensed in Bulgaria: the draft would exempt licences issued before 31 December 2026 from the new one-off fees, giving companies a narrow window to secure or renew a licence under the current, lower fee structure before the stricter regime takes effect in 2027 and 2028.