Bulgaria will soon see almost no gambling advertising — the only exception left will be for casinos and gaming halls, which will still be allowed to display their logos on sports jerseys and equipment. That's according to Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who made the announcement at the start of today's cabinet meeting.
A new, much stricter model for regulating and controlling gambling is on the way, he explained. The goal is greater transparency, fairer taxation of the industry, and better protection against gambling addiction.
The brightly lit advertising displays in casino and gaming hall windows will also disappear, Radev noted.
The way the state taxes casinos and gaming halls will change too — tax will now be calculated on their actual financial results. The prime minister also announced tighter controls against money laundering and tax evasion, with all gaming equipment to be connected to the National Revenue Agency in real time.
The tax on online gambling will also rise significantly, Radev said. Part of the proceeds will go toward sports and education, with dedicated mechanisms to be set up for that purpose.
All foreign operators licensed in Bulgaria will be required to register as financial entities in the country, the prime minister explained. "Whoever operates on the Bulgarian market and profits from it will report and pay taxes here, and will be subject to full oversight by the Bulgarian state," Radev said.