Bulgaria's Cabinet Sends Gambling Ad Ban to Parliament With a Wider Sport Rebate

Bulgaria's Council of Ministers approved the Gambling Act amendments on 11 November and sent them to parliament the same day. The advertising ban, the 22% online fee and the 1 January 2027 start survived consultation; the main change spreads the operators' rebate across all licensed sport.

• The Council of Ministers approved the bill by Decision No. 855 on 11 November, and the National Assembly registered it the same day
• The full advertising ban, the sponsorship exception for sport, culture, health and education, and the end of affiliate licences on 1 January 2027 are unchanged from the September consultation draft, which Bulgaria notified to Brussels in October
• The online fee still rises from 20% to 21% in 2027 and 22% in 2028, with a €100,000 monthly floor
• Operators can keep 1%, then 2%, of the fee by giving it to any licensed sports federation or registered club, not only Olympic federations and professional football clubs
• The Ministry of Finance accepted "in principle" a grace period for existing advertising contracts, but the bill contains no separate transition for the ban

The Government Files the Bill on the Day It Approves It

The cabinet approved the draft at its 11 November meeting, calling it a "full ban on the advertising of gambling games", their organisers and their marks. Prime Minister Rumen Radev sent it to the National Assembly the same day, where the register lists it as bill 52-602-01-66, led by the Budget and Finance Committee with six others. It also bans cash payments in construction.

The text is almost identical to the September draft. Article 10 still bans advertising of gambling, operators and their trademarks "regardless of the form, manner and place of distribution", while letting licensed operators sponsor sports bodies and events supporting culture, health and education under a registered trademark or company name. Affiliate licences end on 1 January 2027, when the law takes effect.

The fiscal package is also unchanged. The online fee rises to 21% of stakes less winnings in 2027 and 22% in 2028, with a €100,000 monthly minimum. Banks, payment institutions and e-money firms would pay the state any charge on a gambling transaction above 1.5% of its value, and foreign online licensees need a place of business in Bulgaria by 30 June 2027 or lose the licence.

Land-Based Operators Pay More in 2027, Then Switch to a Fee

The alternative tax on slot halls and casinos rises for 2027 to €600 a quarter per slot machine or gaming position, from 800 leva (about €409), and to €13,000 per roulette or gaming table, from 22,000 leva (about €11,248), under the bill and its impact assessment. From 2028 that tax is repealed and replaced by a fee of 20% of stakes less winnings, with monthly minimums of €200 per machine and €4,500 per table. Equipment makers and distributors would pay a one-off €50,000 for a five-year licence or €100,000 for ten.

The Sport Rebate Is the Main Change

In September, operators could keep the extra 1% in 2027 and 2% from 2028 only if they gave it to licensed Olympic sports federations and professional football clubs, "for sponsorship, advertising and donation". The bill opens it to all licensed sports federations, registered sports clubs, the Bulgarian Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Organisation, as sponsorship or donation for non-economic sporting activity only. The sums become tax-deductible.

The ministry's 596-page consultation report, dated 5 November, rejects most proposals in more than 100 submissions, including calls from affiliates, broadcasters and outdoor advertisers to drop, delay or soften the ban. It accepted the sport changes, and also accepted "in principle" a request for at least six months after promulgation to bring existing media and advertising contracts into line, saying "such a period will be provided". The bill contains no such provision: apart from the land-based fee and the tax repeal, which start in 2028, everything takes effect on 1 January 2027.

Consultation Moved the Money, Not the Ban

The consultation changed who receives the rebate and little else. The ministry treated the ban, the affiliate shutdown and the €100,000 floor as settled, leaving parliament as the industry's last venue. Opposition bills from We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria show no committee activity since September.

The Wider Rebate Builds a Broader Coalition

Restricting the rebate to Olympic federations and football clubs drew objections from volleyball, Paralympic and non-Olympic sports. Opening it up gives most of Bulgarian sport a stake in the 22% rate passing, while dropping "advertising" stops the money becoming a route back to promotion. Beyond shop facades, sponsorship becomes the only visible channel left for Bulgaria's licensed brands.

The Missing Grace Period Is the Gap to Watch

The bill has had no first reading, and the start date is seven weeks away. Broadcasters, publishers and outdoor firms with contracts running into 2027 would get far less than the six months the report appeared to accept, making a transition clause the likeliest committee amendment.

Bulgaria's government took on board what sport asked for and little else. Parliament will now decide whether the ban arrives on 1 January with or without time for the advertising market to unwind.