Bulgaria Moves Toward a Full Ban on Gambling Ads, Higher Taxes, and Tighter Oversight

Prime Minister Rumen Radev has submitted significant gambling regulation changes for public consultation, including a blanket ban on gambling ads and higher taxes for both online and retail operators. For PSPs and high-risk payment teams, the important part is not the headline ban alone: Bulgaria is also moving to tighten oversight of machines, revenue collection, and offshore operators.

1. Bulgaria would effectively ban all gambling ads under the proposal, with one exception: sports sponsorships on jerseys and across sports facilities. Radev said that exception remains because of budget deficiencies. He also confirmed that casino window lights would be banned, arguing that gambling should not become an everyday sight for Bulgarian citizens.
2. The proposed rules go beyond advertising. Casinos and gambling halls would face tax changes, and all gambling machines would have to be connected to the National Revenue Agency. The stated aim is to reduce money laundering and financial fraud, which is the part PSPs usually end up dealing with after the regulator has moved on.
3. Radev said the new framework is designed to improve transparency and lower Bulgaria’s problem gambling rates. Existing rules already ban TV and radio ads for operators other than the National Lottery, so this would be a step up from the current regime rather than a clean-sheet rewrite.
4. The government is also considering a tax hike that would affect both online and retail operators. Radev said some of the additional tax revenue would be redirected toward sports and education. The opposition has also supported tax increases, but its proposal did not make it into the 2026 budget.
5. Bulgaria is also targeting offshore operators that reach Bulgarian audiences without paying local taxes. Radev said that anyone seeking to profit in Bulgaria should be subject to local laws, and tied that effort to preventing organized crime’s movement of goods across the European Union’s external borders, as well as funds moving across borders.

For high-risk processors, the practical takeaway is straightforward: Bulgaria is moving in the direction of tighter ad controls, stronger reporting links to the tax authority, and more pressure on cross-border operators that serve local players without a domestic footprint.