Bulgaria’s We Continue the Change pushes for a full gambling ad ban and tighter sponsorship rules

Bulgarian party We Continue the Change is asking for another rewrite of gambling advertising rules, this time to close the loopholes left after the 2024 overhaul. For PSPs, affiliates, sportsbooks, and payment partners, the direction of travel is clear: less public-facing promotion, more scrutiny of how gambling brands show up on TV, in sponsorships, and in anything that looks like product placement.

1. We Continue the Change wants a review of gambling advertising rules in Bulgaria to seal off loopholes left by previous legislation. The party has been pushing for tighter limits on gambling marketing for years, and in July it again called on PM Roumen Radev’s cabinet to act ahead of Bulgaria’s 2026/27 Budget.
2. Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova rejected that earlier push, saying the government was preparing a full review of the Gambling Act. That review has already led to the introduction of a licensing regime for affiliates, which matters because it turns affiliate marketing from a loose promotional channel into a regulated one.
3. Bulgaria’s gambling rules already saw a major overhaul in 2024. The new regime tightened licensing compliance, player protection, and gambling marketing rules at the same time, which is usually the point where operators discover that “marketing” and “distribution” are no longer treated as separate conversations.
4. Under the 2024 rules, bonuses and player incentives in marketing material were strictly prohibited. Outdoor advertising was narrowed to billboards at least 300 metres away from educational facilities, while gambling ads were completely barred from TV, social media, radio, and print.
5. The controversy now centers on how brands still appear in public view. During the World Cup on Bulgarian National Television (BNT), operators such as inbet, Efbet, and 8888 were promoting franchising opportunities and the chance to open a bookmaker shop with them as a partner, while branded appearances during prime time national TV drew criticism. The same debate extends to sponsorships such as the Efbet League, the MrBit Second League, the Sesame Cup, and the tournament’s official betting partner Betano.

According to Bulgarian National Radio, the draft proposal now being discussed would go further: a full outdoor advertising ban covering billboards, public transport stops, and all buildings, except land-based venues. It would also limit logos on sponsored adult sports kits to 10x10cm. The text cuts off before detailing the rest of the product placement restrictions, but the direction is obvious enough for anyone running acquisition in a regulated market.