Proposed revisions to Bulgaria's gambling laws faced defeat in a parliamentary vote, as a majority of legislators opted to abstain. The initiative, put forth by the Vazrazhdane party under far-right nationalist Kostadin Kostadinov, encompassed sweeping measures including a blanket ban on gambling advertising and the implementation of a mandatory two-year self-exclusion period for gamblers.
Additionally, the bill sought to overhaul the regulatory framework by replacing operator license fees with a flat 15% tax rate and doubling the maximum payouts for land-based casinos from €2 thousand to €4 thousand. Despite these proposed changes, parliamentary approval remained elusive.
March saw the Bulgarian gambling regulatory bodies, namely the National Revenue Agency (NRA) and the government's National Security Agency, unveil a collaborative initiative aimed at combating money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. Stakeholders within the industry convened to explore avenues for aligning regulatory efforts with operator practices, reflecting a concerted effort to bolster the integrity of Bulgaria's gambling sector.