Bulgaria proposes new gambling taxes, ad restrictions and real-time reporting as the UK floats benefits card limits and Malta’s 2018 Gaming Act still shapes igaming

This week’s gambling-policy round-up is a useful reminder that regulators do not all move in the same direction, even when they are looking at the same problem: how to tax, monitor and constrain high-risk play without breaking the market model that funds it.

1. In Bulgaria, the government has proposed significant gambling reforms that would bring in a new tax model, real-time reporting to the National Revenue Agency, tighter controls on operators and almost complete advertising bans. The package also includes increased funding for education and health programs, plus new rules for foreign gambling companies and responsible gambling contributions.
2. The stated aim of the Bulgarian changes is straightforward: more transparency, higher state revenues and closer supervision of the industry. For PSPs and acquirers, the real-time reporting piece matters because it usually means more data handoffs, more scrutiny on transaction flows and less room for messy merchant setups.
3. The proposed amendments in Bulgaria are open for public consultation until October 23. That gives operators, suppliers and payment partners a short window to map the impact on tax burden, advertising spend and compliance operations before the rules harden into something more expensive.
4. In the UK, the Conservative Party is planning a proposal to ban long-term unemployed people from using benefits to buy alcohol, cigarettes or gambling products. Those out of work for over six months could face a 30 per cent reduction in benefits and receive a restricted “Back to Work” card.
5. The UK plan is framed as a welfare measure, not a gambling rule, but it still touches the same payment question: who gets access to what funds, through which instrument, and with what controls. The party says the policy could save £538m annually. Labour has criticised it as unworkable, while anti-poverty advocates warn of increased hardship. Similar bans already exist in Brazil and Singapore, and the measure will be implemented in Armenia.

Malta is the other half of the story. Focus Gaming News points to the country’s 2018 Gaming Act as the reason Malta became a licensing hub for more than 500 licensed companies, with B2C and B2B licenses and a regulatory framework that still attracts operators such as Play’n GO and Altenar. The Malta Gaming Authority is now looking toward 2026 with a focus on crypto-asset controls, player protection and sports betting integrity. For high-risk operators, the takeaway is familiar: licensing jurisdictions do not stand still, and the rules that once made market entry easy are often the same ones that later get tightened.