Bulgaria Enacts Direct Licensing and Fee Requirements for Performance-Based Gambling Affiliates
TL;DR — Bulgaria requires performance-based gambling affiliates to license from 1 September 2026, with existing operators needing to apply by 15 August. Rules add a €6,000 annual fee, 10% remittance on commissions, mandatory channel declarations and identical advertising restrictions. Affiliates now face direct NRA supervision and potential blocking.
SCCG Take — This structural shift demands immediate operator focus on affiliate compliance to avoid regulatory disruption and maintain partnerships.
Bulgaria has approved amendments to its Gambling Act that impose a licensing regime on gambling affiliates operating under performance-based commission models. The changes require these affiliates to obtain a licence before promoting any licensed gambling operators. The new rules take effect from 1 September 2026, while affiliates already active in the market must file applications by 15 August to maintain continuous operations.
The framework applies to any affiliate whose remuneration is tied to agreed performance indicators. These include the number of players referred, deposits made, bets placed or gambling revenue generated. Affiliates may promote only licensed operators, consistent with Bulgaria’s established restrictions on advertising unlicensed gambling activity.
Fees, Advertising Rules and Enforcement Powers
Affiliates face an annual licence maintenance fee of approximately €6,000. Operators are required to withhold and remit to the National Revenue Agency an additional amount equal to 10 per cent of the affiliate’s performance-based remuneration. As first reported by G3 Newswire, licensed affiliates must now comply with the same advertising restrictions that apply to operators, subject to dedicated sanctions for any breaches.
Applicants must declare all websites, mobile applications, social media accounts and video streaming channels intended for gambling promotion. The National Revenue Agency gains explicit powers to block unlicensed affiliate channels. Licensed operators bear new compliance obligations to confirm that their affiliate partners hold valid licences before the regime commences.
This marks a structural shift from indirect oversight to direct supervision of affiliates within Bulgaria’s gambling regulatory system. The move aligns with wider European concerns around consumer protection, advertising standards and unlicensed promotion. For client-partners navigating these changes, the immediate focus will be on timely licensing and revised contract terms to preserve market access without interruption.
Reporting: G3 Newswire
Bulgaria just ended affiliate free-riding — if you're paid on performance, you're now regulated like an operator.
We've watched regulators across Europe struggle with affiliate oversight for years. Bulgaria just leapfrogged most of them with direct licensing, blocking powers, and a 10% withholding tax. This isn't a tweak — it's a structural reset that forces operators and affiliates to rebuild compliance infrastructure fast or lose market access.
- Performance affiliates must license by 15 August to avoid shutdown; €6,000 annual fee plus 10% withholding on commissions
- All channels — sites, apps, social, streaming — must be declared; unlicensed affiliates face direct blocking by NRA
- Operators liable to confirm affiliate licenses before 1 September 2026 or face sanctions for partnering unlicensed channels
SCCG angle: SCCG works both sides of this equation. We help operators audit affiliate rosters against the new licensing timeline and connect compliant partners across our network. For affiliates, we've guided licensing in 15+ jurisdictions — we know how to structure applications, declare channels correctly, and avoid the traps that trigger regulator scrutiny.