Bulgaria’s We Continue the Change Party Submits Bill for Comprehensive Gambling Advertising Ban
TL;DR — We Continue the Change party has submitted legislation seeking to impose a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising across the country’s media and public spaces. The proposal would extend the restrictions introduced in 2024 and address sponsorships, branding and product placement. It would leave only narrowly defined exceptions and require any remaining gambling-related marketing to include the warning “GAMMING CARRIES A RISK OF DEVELOPING ADDICTION” covering at least 10%.
SCCG Take — The bill narrows operator visibility in sports broadcasting and digital channels, pressing regulated firms toward compliance reviews. Parliament’s handling will determine whether Bulgaria tightens its framework ahead of any EU-level coordination.
Bulgaria’s We Continue the Change party has submitted legislation to impose a comprehensive ban on gambling advertising across media outlets, public spaces, and sports-related promotions. The proposal extends restrictions introduced in 2024 and targets remaining channels such as sponsorships, branding, and product placement. World Casino News reports that the draft would prohibit such advertising on television, radio, print publications, websites, social media, billboards, public transport stops, building facades, electronic displays, and branded vehicles.
Limited exceptions would remain. Bulgarian Sports Totalizator draws could still appear in broadcasts. Gambling operators could display restricted advertising on their own venue facades. Adult sports teams would be permitted to carry gambling logos no larger than 10 by 10 centimetres.
Closing Perceived Loopholes in the 2024 Framework
The bill addresses what the party views as gaps in the 2024 reforms. Those changes had banned bonuses and incentives in marketing, removed gambling ads from television, radio, print, and social media, and imposed distance rules for outdoor advertising near schools. The new text would explicitly ban product placement and sponsorship of media content tied to gambling operators.
Party chairman Assen Vassilev stated: “We need to seal off the legislative loopholes, such as product placement not being treated as advertising. This is an obvious loophole that is being utilised.” He added that branding tactics, such as appending “League” to an operator name, similarly evade current rules. Vassilev pointed to European Union prohibitions on political advertising that have forced platforms like Facebook and Google to self-regulate, and he advocated a parallel EU-wide approach for gambling marketing.
Recent World Cup coverage on Bulgarian National Television illustrated the issue. Operators including inbet, Efbet, and 8888 gained brand exposure through franchising messages, while Betano served as an official betting partner. Domestic competitions such as the Efbet League, MrBit Second League, and Sesame Cup also carry gambling sponsorships. Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who previously worked with LiveScoreBet, JBO, and Betfair, reflected: “There were billboards with my likeness everywhere. At the time, I had slightly fallen asleep in my own bubble and didn’t realise that what I had done was actually a mistake.”
Any permitted advertising would require the warning “GAMBLING CARRIES A RISK OF DEVELOPING ADDICTION” in black lettering on a white background, occupying at least 10% of the space. The proposal follows a rejected July request for tighter rules ahead of the 2026/27 budget. Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova had cited plans for a wider Gambling Act review. Bulgaria introduced an affiliate licensing regime in August. The draft now proceeds to Parliament for debate.
Reporting: World Casino News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Bulgaria's draft law would eliminate operator visibility across media and sports, forcing regulated brands into compliance pivots or exit scenarios.
We track 545 partners across every regulated market, and Bulgaria is tightening faster than most EU jurisdictions. This bill signals a post-bonus ban phase where sponsorship and product placement vanish, reshaping how operators fund local sports and reach digital audiences. Parliament's vote will clarify whether Southeastern Europe hardens ahead of Brussels.
- Prohibits gambling ads on TV, radio, digital, outdoor, and sports sponsorships; only venue facades and 10×10 cm team logos exempted
- Closes 2024 loopholes: product placement, branding disguised as league names, and broadcast integrations now explicitly banned
- Chair Vassilev calls for EU-wide gambling ad rules mirroring political advertising bans on Meta and Google
SCCG angle: SCCG helps operators redesign market-entry and compliance strategies when advertising corridors close. We connect partners to legal advisors, alternative customer-acquisition channels, and safer jurisdictions — we have done it in the Nordics, the Netherlands, and now Bulgaria. If you are in or eyeing Southeastern Europe, let us map your next move before the vote.
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