Bulgarian gamblers lose nearly 1 billion euros a year at casinos and betting sites, and online betting now leads the country's gambling market. The sector has grown fast over the past decade.
Online gambling platforms alone took in close to 67 billion levs in 2025. Two years earlier, in 2023, the figure was 44 billion levs. Operators kept more than 1.6 billion levs a year of that as net revenue, after paying out winnings. Divided among all users, that works out to about 500 euros a year per player in Bulgaria.
People who want to stop gambling can sign up for the Register of Vulnerable Persons, run by the National Revenue Agency. Joining is voluntary and it blocks access to casinos and betting sites. The register has been running again since December 2022, and more than 53,000 people have gone through it since then. At the start of 2025, close to 43,000 people were on it.
Under changes to the Gambling Act in 2024, people can now ask to be removed from the register after 30 days, instead of the two years required before. From May 2024 to the start of 2025, more than 10,000 people did this and got the chance to bet again.
Parliament banned gambling ads on TV and radio, in print and on public buildings from May 2024, though the law allows some exceptions. Outdoor ads near schools and kindergartens are also restricted.
After the ban, gambling advertisers turned to the internet instead — to websites, podcasts, video platforms, social media and sponsored content. Betting company brands still show up on sports kits and venues.
Anyone under 18 is barred from gambling. Unlicensed platforms, crypto casinos and sites that let people bet virtual video game items also carry risks.
Bulgaria has seen cases of employees stealing company or client money, where investigations later found a link to gambling debts.
In September 2026, in the town of Isperih, a 43-year-old man killed his two daughters, aged 10 and 17, then killed himself. Investigators say the case involved family conflict, reports of domestic violence and heavy gambling debts.