Bulgaria Budget Committee Unanimously Advances Bill Banning Gambling Advertising and Ending Affiliate Licenses
Bulgaria's budget committee unanimously backed a bill banning nearly all gambling ads, ending affiliate licensing from 1 January 2027, and raising online license fees to €400,000. The measure reverses an August 2026 affiliate regime and follows a July rejection. Multiple committees will refine the text before readings.
SCCG Take — This tightens market access and raises compliance costs for licensed operators while the working group considers player behavior impacts. Enforcement will determine if restrictions achieve youth protection goals without expanding illegal supply.
Bulgaria's budget committee has unanimously backed a government bill that would ban almost all gambling advertising and scrap affiliate licensing. Operators would lose most marketing channels and face higher fees. The Council of Ministers approved the Gambling Act bill on 11 November 2026 and sent it to the National Assembly the same day.
The restrictions would cover every medium and extend to operators and their brands. Foreign online operators would need a place of business in Bulgaria. Parliament rejected a similar blanket ad ban and tax rise in July 2026. The current text sits alongside bill 52-654-01-128 lodged by Venko Sabrutev and other MPs on 4 September 2026.
Affiliates and Marketing Channels Face Elimination
The bill reverses the August 2026 decision that created a licensing route for gambling affiliates. Physical venues would be barred from brightly lit signs and window displays. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the government was bringing in what amounted to a full ban on gambling advertising because it did not want aggressive marketing reaching children and young people.
Consultation closed on 23 October 2026. The Budget and Finance Committee is lead, with six others participating including youth and sport, culture and media, and health. European Gaming Media posted that the cabinet bill would cancel every affiliate licence from 1 January 2027.
Higher Fees and Stakeholder Input on Costs
An online betting licence would cost €400,000 while casino operators would pay €300,000 for a five-year licence. Yearly contributions to gambling-addiction prevention would rise to €60,000 for online betting, €20,000 for casino games and €10,000 for other forms. Rozalina Yordanova of the Bulgarian Gaming Association told the committee that illegal land-based gambling barely exists in Bulgaria and objected to a proposed land-based levy of 20% of stakes minus winnings.
Desislava Taneva of GERB-SDS backed formation of a working group to refine the texts with attention to player behavior. MPs will now form that working group to revise the three bills before the first and second readings, according to reporting by Casino Beats drawing on Yogonet and BTA.
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