Bulgaria committee backs bill to end affiliate licensing and set €100,000 monthly online fee

Bulgaria's budget committee has unanimously backed a government Gambling Act bill that would ban almost all gambling advertising and scrap affiliate licensing. Operators selling into Bulgaria would lose most of their marketing channels and face sharply higher fees.

Bulgaria is moving to close its gambling market to most forms of marketing. The Council of Ministers approved a Gambling Act bill on 11 November 2026 and sent it to the National Assembly the same day.

The restrictions would cover every medium. They would reach beyond gambling itself to operators and their brands. Foreign online operators would need a place of business in Bulgaria.

The committee’s support marks a sharp turn. Parliament threw out a similar blanket ad ban and tax rise in July 2026. This time the government’s own text sits alongside bill 52-654-01-128, which Venko Sabrutev and other MPs lodged on 4 September 2026.

Affiliates and licensed operators would lose most marketing channels

For affiliates, the bill reverses course within months. In August 2026 the Radev government itself created a licensing route for gambling affiliates, a decision that ending affiliate promotion would undo.

Physical venues would be caught as well. Brightly lit signs and displays in the windows of casinos and gaming halls would be banned. When the draft went to public consultation, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the government was bringing in what amounted to a full ban on gambling advertising. He said the government did not want aggressive marketing reaching children and young people.

Consultation on the draft closed on 23 October 2026. Parliament assigned the bill to the Budget and Finance Committee as lead committee. Six other committees are taking part, including those for youth and sport, culture and media, and health.

Costs would rise for operators and payment firms

The fee structure points to a much costlier market. An online betting licence would cost €400,000, while casino operators would pay €300,000 for a five-year licence, according to Yogonet. Yearly contributions to gambling-addiction prevention would rise to €60,000 for online betting. Casino games would pay €20,000 and other forms of gambling €10,000.

The land-based sector has already pushed back. Rozalina Yordanova of the Bulgarian Gaming Association told the committee that illegal land-based gambling barely exists in Bulgaria, BTA reported. She said the problem lies with online platforms. She objected to a proposed land-based levy of 20% of stakes minus winnings paid out. In her view, that model fits online gambling rather than land-based operators.

The unanimous vote does not settle the detail. Desislava Taneva of GERB-SDS backed a working group to refine the texts. She said the measures should also address how players behave.

MPs will now form that working group to revise the three bills before the first and second readings.

The post Bulgaria committee backs bill to end affiliate licensing and set €100,000 monthly online fee appeared first on CasinoBeats.

Source link