Bulgaria's gambling regulatory landscape is dominated this period by a draft Act amending the Gambling Act, notified to the European Commission as 2026/0536/BG on 2 October 2026. The draft proposes a near-total advertising ban, termination of the affiliate-licensing regime created only in August 2026, higher online levies, and real-time equipment reporting for land-based operators. It remains at consultation stage, with the consultation (item 12738-K) closing 23 October 2026 and no government bill yet before the National Assembly. The existing framework, including the National Revenue Agency's blocking and payment-blocking powers and the affiliate-licensing regime itself, both dating to the State Budget Act 2026 transitional provisions effective 1 August 2026, remains in force unchanged alongside the proposal. As a civil-law jurisdiction, Bulgaria's gambling framework rests on this statutory stack of the Gambling Act plus its amending and budget-linked instruments, with the draft representing a potential further layer on that stack rather than a wholesale replacement of it.
Bulgaria · Question 01 of 11
Overview: What kind of market is this?
Mixed · Probable · Not reviewed · 1 post-review update · Not reviewed · Back to full Bulgaria report →
Key section parameters
| Jurisdiction | Bulgaria (BG) |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Recorded in register |
| Favourability | Mixed |
| Confidence | Probable |
| Review status | Not reviewed · 1 post-review update · Not reviewed |
| Last collected | 18 Oct 2026 |
Summary answer
Bulgaria's gambling regulatory landscape is dominated this period by a draft Act amending the Gambling Act, notified to the European Commission as 2026/0536/BG on 2 October 2026. The draft proposes a near-total advertising ban, termination of the affiliate-licensing regime created only in August 202…
Key headwinds & conditions
- Severe 2024 advertising ban
- GGR tax rising to 25% in 2026
- BGN 1.5m capital requirement
Bulgaria's gambling regime is in an active reform phase as at October 2026. A draft Gambling Act amendment package, submitted for public consultation around 24 September 2026, proposes a near-total ban on gambling advertising and a requirement for real-time NRA equipment monitoring, layered on an already in-force affiliate-licensing regime effective 1 August 2026 and a gross gaming revenue tax rise to 25% effective 1 January 2026. The NRA Gambling Office has also seen internal leadership instability, with its Director of Gambling Policy departing on 18 June 2026. No core licensing, entry-pathway or product-class change has been evidenced: the structural route to market is stable even as the cost, advertising and technical-compliance perimeter tightens around it.