Legislators in Bulgaria are taking a rigorous stand against the proliferation of gambling activities by introducing a new bill aimed at amending the country’s Law on Gambling. This comprehensive bill, which has been jointly tabled by the GERB-UDF coalition and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, proposes far-reaching restrictions on gambling advertisements across multiple media platforms. Prominent political figures Temenuzka Petkova and Yordan Tsonev are at the forefront of this legislative push, advocating for the well-being of Bulgarian society.
The foundational element of the bill seeks to eradicate gambling ads from online spaces, television, radio, and print outlets. Furthermore, it prohibits the display of such ads on the facades of buildings, a move designed to diminish the visual prominence of gambling in public spaces. The bill, however, grants a concession for advertisements on billboards, provided they are situated over 100 metres away from educational institutions, and permits ads on the exteriors of gaming halls and casino structures.
Building on the reframing of advertising guidelines, the bill also targets the darker underbelly of the gambling world: the facilitation of illegal gambling. It introduces measures to block access to websites providing illegal gambling services and obstructs financial transactions with those platforms. Petkova and Tsonev are calling for stern punishments for non-compliance, advocating for fines ranging from BGN50,000 to BGN200,000 for sites complicit in illegal gambling activities, including those facilitating payments to illicit operators.
The legislation does not stop there. Individuals caught in the act of illegal gambling face the prospect of fines themselves, ranging between BGN500 and BGN2,000. Moreover, the bill proposes geographic limitations on slot machines and casino gambling, restricting them to locales with a population exceeding 5,000 inhabitants. Exceptions are proposed for national resorts and areas in close proximity to significant transportation hubs such as roads, railways, and river crossings.
This legislative advance follows Romania’s parliamentary decision earlier this month to implement a similar law, banning slot machines from regions with populations below 15,000, effectively eliminating them from rural areas and safeguarding communities.
Further reforms include an elevation of the capital requirements for companies vying for slot machine licences, setting a new financial threshold between BGN500,000 and BGN750,000. Additionally, the bill mandates a redistribution of socially responsible funds; half of the contributions required of operators are to be directed to the Ministry of Health for the development of gambling addiction treatment programs.
The heightened attention to gambling in Bulgaria follows concerted efforts over the past year to revamp oversight of the industry. Financial estimates posited by the Ministry of Finance in January suggested that gambling operations could funnel as much as BGN200m into Bulgaria’s state coffers. To augment this regulatory renaissance, in August of the preceding year, Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency (NRA) established a new money laundering unit tasked with imposing anti-money laundering measures, including enhanced customer verification and diligent transaction monitoring.
Since the dissolution of the State Gambling Commission in 2020, the NRA has assumed responsibility for monitoring gambling advertisements. Last year, the agency made a decisive move ordering operators to prevent self-excluded individuals from accessing casinos and gambling halls.
In conclusion, this sweeping legislative proposal intends to reinforce regulatory mechanisms, curb the pervasive reach of gambling through stringent advertising restrictions, and promote societal health by supporting addiction treatment initiatives. The bill echoes a regional trend towards greater oversight of the gambling industry and is a bold statement on Bulgaria’s commitment to fostering a responsible gaming environment.
