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Central and Eastern Europe · Southeastern Europe

Online gambling in Bulgaria: regulation, licence and market guide

Regulated Reviewed September 2026

Bulgaria licenses online casino, betting and poker through the National Revenue Agency (NRA) under the Gambling Act of 2012, with a near-total advertising ban since May 2024 and a GGR fee raised from 20% to 25% on 1 January 2026.

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Regulator
NRA, MoF, BIM
Local licence for private operators
Yes
Operator tax
Betting, lotto, bingo and keno (including online): fixed state fee of BGN 400,000 a year plus 25% of GGR since 1 January 2026 (20% in 2014–2025), settled monthly; 20% of commissions for tournaments. Law-firm guides state that online casino games pay the fixed licence fee and 10% corporate income tax rather than the GGR fee; confirm each game type with counsel.
Player tax
Winnings from licensed gambling are exempt from personal income tax.
Currency
euro (EUR)
Languages
Bulgarian
Payment methods players use
Visa and Mastercard, bank transfer, ePay.bg, Apple Pay and Google Pay
Last reviewed
September 2026

Companies seated in Bulgaria, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland can obtain a separate NRA licence for each type of online game for five or ten years if they hold BGN 1.5 million of paid-in capital, report to the NRA in real time and store player and bet data in Bulgaria. Lottery games other than raffles and bingo are reserved for the state. Amendments of 30 April 2024 banned gambling advertising on television, radio, in print and online except for the state Sports Totalizator, and the 2026 budget lifted the variable state fee on betting-type games from 20% to 25% of GGR. A full revision of the Act began in 2026.

VerticalStatus in Bulgaria
Online casinoRegulated
Sports bettingRegulated
Online pokerRegulated
LotteryMonopoly
Social casino (free to play)Permitted

Regulated: Private operators can hold a local licence for online casino and/or betting.

Who regulates gambling in Bulgaria?

Bulgaria gambling licence: how it works

The NRA issues a separate licence for each type of game (sports and horse-race betting, betting on random events, casino games, slot games, bingo and keno), each of which may be offered online under Article 41 of the Gambling Act. The applicant must be an LLC or joint-stock company with registered shares seated in Bulgaria, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland with at least BGN 1.5 million paid-in capital; a foreign company appoints an authorized representative in Bulgaria. Its central computer system may sit anywhere in the EU, EEA or Switzerland but must identify players, stream every session, bet and payout to the NRA server and keep the data in Bulgaria. The NRA decides within about two and a half months, and the licensee must evidence a BGN 1 million investment within six months.

What an applicant needs

  • LLC or joint-stock company with registered shares seated in Bulgaria, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland; authorized representative in Bulgaria for foreign companies
  • Fully paid-in capital of at least BGN 1,500,000 (about EUR 767,000) for online betting and casino games
  • Central computer system in the EU/EEA/Switzerland with real-time transmission of sessions, bets and payouts to the NRA server
  • Player registration and identification data and betting records stored in Bulgaria
  • Gaming software, central system and control server registered with the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology
  • Bank account for stakes and payouts at a bank licensed in Bulgaria or the EU/EEA/Switzerland
  • Investment of at least BGN 1,000,000 within six months of licensing
Licence cost
Document-review fee of BGN 20,000 for an online betting application; fixed part of the annual state fee BGN 400,000 (about EUR 204,500) for online betting, lotto, bingo and keno licences; variable part 25% of GGR from 1 January 2026; annual responsible-gambling contribution of BGN 50,000. Online casino games carry a fixed licence-maintenance fee that depends on term and type.
Duration
5 or 10 years at the applicant's choice, renewable
Local entity required
No
Processing time
About two and a half months from a complete application, extendable by 30 days (CMS); the operator then has six months to evidence the minimum investment.

Gambling taxes in Bulgaria

  • Operators: Betting, lotto, bingo and keno (including online): fixed state fee of BGN 400,000 a year plus 25% of GGR since 1 January 2026 (20% in 2014–2025), settled monthly; 20% of commissions for tournaments. Law-firm guides state that online casino games pay the fixed licence fee and 10% corporate income tax rather than the GGR fee; confirm each game type with counsel.
  • Players: Winnings from licensed gambling are exempt from personal income tax.
  • Also: Cash payouts are capped at BGN 5,000; larger winnings must be paid by bank transfer. Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 at 1.95583 BGN per euro, and statutory amounts convert at that fixed rate. Parliament rejected a proposal to nearly double operator fees in July 2026.

Advertising, player protection, KYC and payments

Advertising

Since 30 April 2024 private operators may not advertise on television, radio, in print or on online media; the state Sports Totalizator is exempt. Permitted placements are outdoor advertising at least 300 meters from schools and similar sites, venue facade signage within 20% of the facade and 50 square meters, and sports equipment and facilities not aimed at minors, each carrying an addiction warning on at least 10% of the area. Parliament rejected a full ban in July 2026 and instead licensed affiliates.

Responsible gaming

Minimum age 18. Operators must screen players against the NRA register of vulnerable persons, which includes self-excluded players, and refuse anyone listed; the minimum self-exclusion period rose from 30 days to one year in March 2025 and about 54,000 people were registered by 2026. Sites must display addiction warnings and counseling information and offer deposit, session and time controls.

Identity and age verification

Registration with identity verification before play, with all identification data stored in Bulgaria; AML customer due diligence, transaction monitoring and reporting under Bulgarian AML law, which the NRA enforces through a dedicated department.

Payments

Stakes and payouts flow through a bank account at an EU-licensed bank; cards, bank transfers and Bulgarian e-wallets are used and cash payouts are limited to BGN 5,000. Payment institutions must stop transactions with operators on the NRA list of unlicensed websites, and ISPs must block listed sites under court orders. Crypto is not permitted for licensed operators.

Notable restrictions

  • Lottery games other than raffles and bingo reserved for the state
  • Advertising banned on TV, radio, print and online media for private operators since May 2024
  • Separate licence required for each type of game
  • Player and bet data must be stored in Bulgaria with real-time NRA reporting
  • Cash payouts capped at BGN 5,000
  • Fines in the millions of leva for organizing online gambling without a licence, and fines for ISPs and payment providers that serve listed sites

Bulgaria iGaming market: size, players and payments

Bulgaria's regulated online market generated about EUR 562 million of GGR in 2023 (industry figures cited by theiGaming.eu, 2026); the Deputy Finance Minister told parliament in July 2026 that only about 60% of gambling activity runs through licensed channels.

About 22 online licences were in force at the end of 2024 (Novinite), and roughly 54,000 people were on the self-exclusion register in 2026.

Tracked licensed domains receive 79–97% of visits from mobile devices (theiGaming.eu, April 2026).

Winbet leads online traffic by a wide margin, followed by Palms Bet (Telematic Interactive Bulgaria), Efbet and bet365, which entered through a content arrangement with a local supplier; the state Bulgarian Sports Totalizator runs toto.bg. LiveScore Bet withdrew in 2025 citing the advertising regime.

What players play
online slotsfootball bettinglive casinolottery and totopoker
How they pay
Visa and Mastercardbank transferePay.bgApple Pay and Google PaySkrillpaysafecard

Timeline: how Bulgaria got here

  1. 2012-03Gambling Act promulgated (State Gazette 26/2012), opening online licensing to EU/EEA companies
  2. 2014Amendments adopted in 2013 replace the 15% tax on stakes with a 20% GGR fee for online betting-type games, making licensing commercially viable
  3. 2020-08State Commission on Gambling abolished; National Revenue Agency takes over licensing and supervision
  4. 2024-04Parliament unanimously adopts amendments banning gambling advertising on TV, radio, print and online media
  5. 2025-03Minimum self-exclusion period raised from 30 days to one year
  6. 2026-01Bulgaria adopts the euro; variable state fee on betting-type games rises from 20% to 25% of GGR under the 2026 budget
  7. 2026-07Parliament rejects a blanket advertising ban and fee doubling, licenses affiliates; Ministry of Finance launches a full review of the Gambling Act

Outlook

The Ministry of Finance's comprehensive revision of the Gambling Act, announced in July 2026, is the next event to watch: the government wants to address the roughly 40% of activity outside the licensed market together with fiscal policy, while opposition parties press for a total advertising ban and higher fees. Secondary rules on play-time and loss limits and under-24 protections adopted in 2024 remain incomplete.

Launching in Bulgaria with GameBridge

Turnkey (your licence, our platform). Bulgaria licenses private operators for every online vertical to EU, EEA and Swiss companies, but the NRA licence, the BGN 1.5 million capital and the in-country data obligations belong to the operator, so the operator holds the licence and runs on GameBridge technology. GameBridge holds no Bulgarian licence.

A Bulgarian brand on GameBridge runs in Bulgarian with a EUR wallet, geo-controls that admit Bulgarian residents only after identity verification, in-country storage of registration and betting records, and real-time streaming of every session, bet and payout to the NRA server. Registration and login check the register of vulnerable persons, the cashier connects cards, bank transfers and Bulgarian e-wallets through the operator's EU bank and payment institutions, and the catalog is limited to software entered in the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology register, with GameBridge Studios and Originals shipping the documentation that registration requires. Marketing tools are restricted to the placements the 2024 rules still allow.

  • Bulgarian site language and EUR wallet
  • In-country storage of player and bet data with real-time NRA streaming
  • Register of vulnerable persons checks at registration and login
  • Deposit, session and time controls with one-year minimum self-exclusion
  • Marketing controls limited to permitted outdoor, venue and sports placements
  • Monthly 25% GGR state-fee reporting by game type
  • Registration package for GameBridge Studios and Originals software versions

Bulgarian lobbies are slots-led with strong live casino and football betting; the aggregated catalog brings the studios already registered for Bulgarian licensees, and GameBridge Studios builds exclusives to the operator's brief with the metrology-register documentation attached.

Frequently asked questions

Is online gambling legal in Bulgaria?
Yes. Online casino games, sports betting, poker and other games are legal from operators holding a National Revenue Agency licence for each game type; lottery games other than raffles and bingo are reserved for the state. The NRA lists unlicensed websites that ISPs must block under court orders and that payment institutions must not serve, and players using them can be fined.
How much does a Bulgaria online gambling licence cost?
An online betting applicant pays a BGN 20,000 document-review fee, then a fixed state fee of BGN 400,000 (about EUR 204,500) a year plus 25% of gross gaming revenue since 1 January 2026, and a BGN 50,000 annual responsible-gambling contribution, and must hold BGN 1.5 million of paid-in capital and invest BGN 1 million within six months. Casino-game licences carry a fixed maintenance fee.
What is the gambling tax rate in Bulgaria?
For betting, lotto, bingo and keno the variable state fee is 25% of GGR since 1 January 2026, up from 20%, on top of the BGN 400,000 fixed annual fee and 10% corporate income tax; tournaments pay 20% of commissions. Law-firm guides state that online casino games pay the fixed licence fee plus corporate tax rather than the GGR fee. Players pay no tax on winnings from licensed operators.
Can a foreign company get a Bulgarian gambling licence?
Yes. A company seated in another EU or EEA state or Switzerland can apply directly if it appoints an authorized representative in Bulgaria who can sign contracts and represent it before authorities and courts, and meets the same capital, technical and data-storage conditions as a Bulgarian company, including real-time NRA reporting.
Which payment methods do Bulgarian players use?
Cards and bank transfers dominate, with ePay.bg, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Skrill and paysafecard common at licensed sites; stakes and payouts pass through an account at an EU-licensed bank and cash payouts are capped at BGN 5,000. Licensed operators do not accept crypto, and Bulgaria has used the euro since 1 January 2026.
How does GameBridge support a Bulgarian licensed operator?
Under the turnkey model the operator holds the NRA licences and runs a Bulgarian-language brand on GameBridge with a EUR wallet, in-country data storage with real-time NRA streaming, vulnerable-persons register checks, permitted-placement marketing controls and monthly GGR fee reporting. See Turnkey and the Europe market page.

Sources and review

Reviewed against the sources below on 11 September 2026. Regulation changes; confirm the current position with local counsel before launch.

Regulatory summaries are provided for orientation only and are not legal advice. Licensing requirements change; we validate them with you during scoping.

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