Online Gambling Blacklist in Bulgaria Expands to 172

172 online websites in Bulgaria were blocked and added to the State Commission on Gambling’s blacklist over the past half year.

Yet, similar types of measures may appear to be unnecessary in the future since the government introduced amendments to its strict tax regime on online gambling sites in Bulgaria. This measure was taken in order to attract more operators to apply for gaming licenses in the country.

Great news for potential online gaming operators in Bulgaria

Gaming operators complained about the previous Bulgarian gambling law, which did not secure enough profits, provoking companies to refrain from applying for licenses in the country. This was the trigger that motivated Bulgarian lawmakers to introduce amendments to the law and secure more gambling tax revenues for the state budget.

After the changes, online casinos in Bulgaria will be able to acquire licenses after paying a one-time fee of BGN 250,000 as well as a 20% tax on the difference between revenue and profits.

The current statistics of the State Commission on Gambling show that Bulgaria receives around BGN 120 million from gambling tax every year. With the introduction of the amendments, this figure is expected to rise with BGN 50 million by 2015 and with BGN 100 million by 2016.