Radev announced an almost total ban on gambling advertising
23.09.2026
The government proposed changes to the Gambling Act: an advertising ban, real-time connection with NRA, and higher taxes for online operators.
Снимка от Cheep, Wikimedia Commons, под лиценз CC BY 2.5 bg
The government submitted amendments to the Gambling Act for public consultation, effectively banning the advertising of gambling activities. Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced this at the start of today's cabinet meeting on September 23, 2026.
According to him, the new rules aim to bring greater transparency, fairer taxation of the sector and fewer gambling addictions among Bulgarians. "We don't want gambling to be part of everyday life for Bulgarian citizens. We don't want aggressive advertising reaching young people and children," Radev said.
One exception to the ban remains, however — advertising for casinos and gaming halls will still be allowed on sports kits and equipment, in order to support sports, the prime minister explained.
The amendments also do away with brightly lit signs and advertisements on the windows of casinos and gaming halls — they are far too intrusive and detract from the appearance of towns and cities, Radev said.
The government is also proposing a different approach to taxing gambling. Going forward, the actual financial results of casinos' and gaming halls' operations will be taken into account. At the same time, mechanisms will be introduced for stricter controls against money laundering and tax evasion.
Among the measures is a requirement that all gaming equipment be connected to the National Revenue Agency in real time. "That's why we are finally requiring all gaming equipment to be connected to the National Revenue Agency in real time — something that should have been done long ago," Radev stressed.
The tax on online gambling will also rise significantly, with part of the revenue going toward sports and education, the prime minister explained.
The new rules also affect foreign operators licensed to work in Bulgaria — as long as they operate on the Bulgarian market and profit from it, they will be required to register their financial activity in the country. "Anyone operating on the Bulgarian market and profiting from it will report here, pay taxes here, and be subject to full oversight by the Bulgarian state," Radev said.
The prime minister also presented upcoming changes to the Criminal Code concerning customs violations. The idea is that, under certain conditions, some offenses currently treated as administrative violations would become criminal offenses. This would tighten customs controls and strengthen the fight against smuggling, which causes damage to both European and national finances.
"Over the years, there was no political will to make this happen. That's no coincidence, because the provisions we're proposing cut deep into one of the most profitable areas of organized crime — the movement of goods across the European Union's external borders, to the detriment of European and national finances," Radev noted.
According to the prime minister, the new provisions will target not only smugglers but also customs officers and officials who knowingly cover up violations or fail to do their jobs. "We are tightening customs controls, and smuggling will become a serious criminal offense. The law will apply not only to smugglers and rank-and-file customs officers, but also to the so-called 'on-call officials' within the customs administration who knowingly turn a blind eye to such violations," Radev said.
Criminal liability is also envisioned for the deliberate manipulation of information aimed at diverting European and national funds. "Any information that is deliberately manipulated in order to divert European or national funds will be treated as a criminal offense," Radev emphasized. ★Add BurgasMedia to your preferred sources on Google→