TLDR Bulgaria’s government turned down opposition proposals to sharply raise gambling taxes and expand advertising restrictions. Lawmakers approved only a small extra tax on a limited niche area, not the broader hike sought by critics. Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova warned that raising taxes too fast could push players toward illegal gambling sites. The Finance Ministry is working on a full rewrite of the country’s gambling law. Bulgaria’s existing ad ban, in place since April 2024, already limits gambling promotion across TV, radio, print, and online platforms.
Bulgaria’s government has rejected calls from opposition parties to raise gambling taxes and tighten advertising rules further. The debate played out in parliament this week as lawmakers reviewed proposed changes to the country’s gambling regulations.
Members of parliament approved a small tax increase targeting one narrow area of the gambling industry. They turned down a larger proposal that would have nearly doubled operator fees and added new advertising limits.
Bulgaria currently taxes online gambling revenue at 25%, plus a 10% corporate tax. That rate went up earlier this year from 20%.
Government Warns Against Rushing Tax Hikes
Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova spoke to the budget committee about the risks of moving too quickly on taxes. She said raising rates without first tackling illegal gambling could backfire.
“Yes, the proposal to increase [taxes] sounds very well, but any increase before taking measures to limit the grey sector means shifting players from the legal to the illegal market,” Petkova said.
She added that the Finance Ministry is preparing a full update to Bulgaria’s gambling laws. No timeline was given for when that revision might be ready.
Bulgaria’s channelisation rate, the share of gambling activity happening through licensed operators, sits at roughly 60%. That means a large portion of gambling in the