Is online gambling legal in Bulgaria?

Legal overview

Bulgaria regulates gambling under the Gambling Act (Закон за хазарта). The State Commission on Gambling was abolished in 2020, and the National Revenue Agency (NRA) has licensed and supervised the sector since then. Online casino games, sports betting, poker and other games may be offered to players in Bulgaria only by organisers holding a Bulgarian licence. Licences are issued for up to five years.

Unlicensed websites are pursued actively. The NRA's executive director issues decisions ordering sites that offer gambling without a licence to stop. Each site is listed on the NRA website and has three days to comply. If it is still reachable after that, the NRA goes to court, and the Sofia District Court orders internet providers to block the domain and its subdomains. According to the NRA, more than 2,500 sites were stopped this way in the first ten months of 2024. Banks and payment institutions are also required to refuse payments to and from unlicensed organisers.

Players must be at least 18. Licensed operators must check the NRA's central register of self-excluded persons and refuse registered players. Since an amendment to the Gambling Act took effect on 27 March 2025, self-exclusion lasts at least one year. Gambling advertising was heavily restricted by a 2024 reform; for example, gambling advertising may take up no more than 5% of an outdoor advertising provider's total space. On 9 September 2026 Democratic Bulgaria tabled a bill that would extend the ban to almost all channels, including websites, apps, online platforms and billboards. When this page was checked, the bill had not been adopted.