Gambling Laws in Bulgaria

Gambling in Bulgaria is considered to be legal in all of its variety. The Bulgarian gambling laws, in particular, the new Gaming Act (Zakon za hazarta/Закон за хазарта), which is in force from 1 January 2018, is the main regulatory act of all online gambling activities in the country. In Article 2 this law defines all gambling games in the country that are considered to be legal, which, under the current Bulgarian gambling legislation, includes all forms of online gambling, as they are only considered to be specific forms of delivering the land-based gambling games.  The regulatory body of the land-based, as well as online gambling activities in the country, is the State Commission on Gambling, formed by the Ministry of Finance of Bulgaria. The authority is also responsible for granting licenses and supervising the work of the already licensed casinos, sportsbooks and other types of gambling providers, both brick and mortar and online gambling sites. And according to Bulgarian gambling laws, minors under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.    

Is Online Gambling Legal in Bulgaria? Yes, all forms of online gambling are legal in Bulgaria according to the Gaming Act.

Online Casinos in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian gambling market is heavily regulated and, in the time of the first version of the legislation, in 2012, the taxes were considerably high which made it difficult for operators to pursue licenses. But this proved to be an unsuccessful measure and changes were made to the law. Now, online casinos in Bulgaria amount to several licensed providers most of which offer other types of gambling games too besides classical casino games. 

Online Poker in Bulgaria

Poker in Bulgaria is an extremely popular pastime, though there are not many poker rooms. Still, most of the casinos regularly offer attractive poker tournaments. And although there are no specific Bulgarian poker laws, the general regulations apply and online poker sites are considered to be legal in the country. PokerStars is the most prominent virtual destination for Bulgarian poker fans. The site offers the possibility for playing various tournaments on various different types of poker games from Texas Hold’em, to Caribbean Stud Poker.

Online Lottery in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Sports Totalizator is the state-licensed provider for all sorts of lotto games in the country including an online lottery in Bulgaria. Its origin dates back to the time of allegiance of the country with the Soviet bloc, when the lottery was intended to secure money for public services. In fact, with the introduction of online gambling in Bulgaria, the lottery was the first entity to offer games of this kind on the Bulgarian market. Currently, there are many operators offering online lotto games. 

Online Bingo in Bulgaria

Bingo and keno are defined in the Gaming Act as a type of numerical lottery games. Although there are no specific Bulgarian online bingo laws, the regulations derived from the Gambling Act, make online bingo legal in the country. However, as of July 2019, there are no specialized online bingo sites in Bulgaria, though there are many international platforms on the offer coming, all of which are accessible from Bulgaria. 

Online Sports Betting in Bulgaria

Online sportsbook sites in Bulgaria are also regulated by the Gaming Act. Currently, as of, there are several platforms operating the Bulgarian market in accordance with the regulation prescribed by the State Commission on Gambling. This authority actively blocks foreign sportsbooks, though players may still access them without being prosecuted. 

Online DFS in Bulgaria

Online DFS sites in Bulgaria are not legally regulated. According to the Gaming Act, the game doesn’t fall on the definition of gambling, which means it might be considered a game of skill. Nonetheless, and considering the legality of online sports betting in the country, it is very probable that Daily Fantasy Sports would soon become fully legal.