Bulgaria moves closer to a near-total gambling advertising ban after committee backs three proposals

Bulgarian lawmakers have taken a procedural step toward much tighter gambling advertising rules after the National Assembly’s Budget and Finance Committee unanimously backed three separate proposals on 12 November 2026. For operators and PSPs active in Bulgaria, the main point is not the vote itself but the direction of travel: a broader ban, an end to affiliate licensing, and extra obligations that could change how gambling traffic is acquired and monetised.

1. The committee voted 21-0 in favour of three measures aimed at restricting gambling advertising. The package includes a government-backed bill and two opposition initiatives submitted by representatives of Democratic Bulgaria and We Continue the Change.
2. The government initiative was submitted to the National Assembly on 11 November after approval from the Council of Ministers. It would prohibit advertising for gambling games, licensed operators and their associated trademarks across any advertising format or distribution channel.
3. One of the more practical changes is the plan to discontinue the licensing framework for affiliate operators that currently promote gambling services and direct customers to betting and casino websites. For high-risk operators, that is the sort of detail that tends to matter more than the headline ban.
4. Lawmakers said a working group would review the proposals and refine the provisions before any final parliamentary decision. So, on paper this is a major tightening; in practice, the texts still have to move through further scrutiny before they become law.
5. The government says the broader effort is meant to strengthen gambling regulation, address concerns about advertising exposure among younger audiences, and bring taxation, licensing requirements and online gambling supervision into sharper focus. The committee also flagged the harder problem: enforcing restrictions against websites and businesses operating outside Bulgaria.

The proposals do not yet amount to a complete advertising ban, but they do show where the debate is heading. For operators, affiliates and payment providers, the relevant question is less “will advertising disappear?” than “which acquisition channels, licensing structures and compliance costs survive the final text?”