Bulgaria Adds 5 Operators to Blacklist as Bet365 Applies for License

When it comes to online gambling sites in Bulgaria, the Balkan country has had a rocky history with its high tax rates and infamous blacklist. Even though Bulgaria has relaxed its online gaming tax, it still continues with blacklisting online gambling sites that are unwelcome.

After Bulgarian gambling laws changed for the liberal treatment of its online gambling tax, many expected that it would open up the online gaming world up and eliminate the blacklist, but it looks like things are slow to change.

Bulgaria’s gambling regulator has added more names onto the list of online operators who are banned from the country, with the blacklist totaling 150 domains.

New names added onto the list include RedBetGaming,’s Whitebet.com and Heypoker.com, and EuroSlots.com, who are operated by Cherry AB.

Other sites, like Casinoluck.com, were banned for marketing directly to Bulgarians without a license.

Bulgaria adds new sites to blacklist

However, former blacklisted site Bet365 is applying for a license in Bulgaria, and will be the sixth official gaming operator to have one in Bulgaria, along with Betfair and PokerStars.

Before the tax reforms, Bulgaria struggled to turn banned sites into legal ones in the local regulated market.

In December, the only site licensed in December was Malta’s efbet.com, which pushed the government to lower the 15% tax on turnover to 20% on gross profits.

Now, Bulgaria has become an attractive market for online gaming once more. However, even with the lowered tax rates and license applications, some sites are still getting blacklisted.