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There is no global standard for the regulation of gambling and in fact, legislation and laws relating to betting and gaming differ hugely from one nation state to another.
On this page we've got a guide to online betting in Bulgaria which includes a list of recommended Bulgaria betting sites and all the laws you need to know if you're living and betting online in the country.
Top 3 Bulgarian Betting Sites:
The following is a list of the best betting sites for residents of Bulgaria:
Key Facts: Online Gambling In Bulgaria
- All forms of gambling now legal both online and offline.
- Gambling sites charged 15% tax but player pay nothing.
- Legal gambling age is 18+.
- Residents can use any site with a licence legally.
- Since 2013 all major operators have been granted licences.
Gambling Law & Legislation: Is it illegal or legal?
As Bulgaria has only been a modern, independent state since the fall of the Soviet Union, the story of gambling legislation in the country is comparatively short. The following timeline provides an outline of the major landmarks within that story:
1993 – Government Decree
It was by government decree that in 1993 casinos, bingo halls and a national lottery were all legalised within the relatively young state of Bulgaria. Whilst this decree did lead to the creation of a number of such legal establishments, however, oversight and regulation of the newly legal industry was close to non-existent for a number of years.
Bulgaria Betting Sites 2020
1998 – The Gaming Law
It wasn't until 1998 that the first truly effective and wide-ranging legislation related to the regulation of the gambling industry in Bulgaria was introduced. This came in the shape of the Gaming Law which gave some real shape to the industry and created Bulgaria's State Commission for Gambling (SCG). From this point on it was the SCG which was responsible for issuing licences within Bulgaria.
2008 – Online Gambling Legalised
In the year 2008, the Bulgarian government passed more legislation which this time fully legalised online gambling. In the same way as other gambling had remained largely un-regulated for the first few years of its legalisation, however, online gambling was also not properly regulated until 2012.
2012 – The Gambling Act
It was the Gambling Act of 2012 (download here) which went the longest way to fully regulating gambling within Bulgaria and was the first legislation to properly cover online gambling. The act was created to regulate the conditions and procedures for…
1. Organising of gambling games; 2. Organising of activities of manufacturing, distribution, and servicing and import, distribution, and servicing of gambling equipment; 3. Issuing, extending, revocation, and termination of licences for activities under items 1 and 2; and 4. Control over the activities under items 1 and 2.
In order to achieve those goals, however, the act also introduced a restrictive tax of 15% on providers' total turnover and allowed for the creation of a blacklist of unlicensed providers. Any organisations on that blacklist would be blocked by internet service providers in Bulgaria and in short order the list had grown to a length in excess of 350 companies.
2013 – Gambling Reform Bill
Unsurprisingly the high tax rate applied to the gambling industry and the restrictive nature of the SCG's blacklist did not please the gambling industry. Such was the uproar created, in fact, that the Bulgarian government passed the Gambling Reform Bill in 2013. This legislation relaxed the tax requirement to a one-time licensing fee of around €50,000 and a rate of 20% of a company's gross profits.
Tax on Winnings
As we have discussed above, taxation of gambling in Bulgaria has been a hot button issue in recent years and has created a great deal of conflict. For punters themselves, however, there is fortunately nothing to worry about.
This is the case as both the original 15% gambling tax rate and the more recently relaxed taxation legislation relates only to gambling providers and not to their customers. As is the case in many countries, in fact, the Bulgarian government do not tax the winnings which punters may make from gambling.
Deposit Methods
Gambling has long been legal in Bulgaria and as mentioned above there is also no issue with the taxation of winnings. As such, a punter's choice of deposit method can be dictated solely by issues such as speed of transfer, security and ease of use.
With that in mind it makes sense for any potential Bulgarian punters to deposit using either credit or debit card if possible. Those methods offer amongst the quickest deposits and withdrawals of any alternatives, are widely considered to be the most secure and are methods available to almost all customers.
- Send to Kindle
With the trend of online betting growing more and more by the day, people from all over the globe are looking to jump on the trend and have some fun. The chance to win big while following a sport you enjoy is a dream for many, and betting sites give people the chance to do this from the comfort of their own home. Naturally, the online betting trend has sparked some interest in the Eastern European country of Bulgaria. As big fans of football, basketball, and volleyballs, many Bulgarians hope to ditch traditional bookies for the more convenient online alternative.
Of course, this poses the question of the legality of online betting in the country. Since many countries around the world tend to have different laws surrounding online gambling and traditional gambling, many Bulgarians are uncertain if the option is even available to them. The history of gambling laws in Bulgaria is relatively short, but it does include some important things to note. That said, here's what you need to know about the laws regarding betting sites in Bulgaria.
Online Betting Is Legal
Gambling has been legal in Bulgaria since 1993 by government decree. Several casinos and other gambling establishments were legalized, although regulation was close to non-existent for the next few years. Thankfully, the problem with regulation was addressed appropriately in 1998 with the passing of the Gaming Law. A similar trend appeared a decade later when online gambling became legal in 2008. Regulation once again appeared to be very lax, until the 2012 Gambling Act that addressed proper regulation of online gambling inside the country.
While it's safe to say that most people who enjoyed casual gambling were satisfied with this, providers got the short end of the stick. The restrictive tax of 15% on the total turnover of providers caused an uproar that was addressed in the 2013 Gambling Reform Bill. The reforms included a much less restrictive solution that included a one-time licensing fee of €50,000 and 20% of the provider's gross profits. With everyone more or less satisfied with the resolution, Bulgarians are now free to have a good time on a safe list of betting sites that fulfill these requirements.
Online Betting Tax Laws
As we already mentioned, thanks to the 2013 Gambling Reform Bill, the providers are taxed 20% of the provider's gross profit after paying a one-time licensing fee. Other than the very high taxes of 15% on the provider's total turnover imposed with the 2012 Gambling Act, an additional issue was the creation of a blacklist for unlicensed providers. Websites that made it on the list were blocked by internet service providers in the country, and unfortunately, the list reached a very high number of over 350 websites!
Thankfully, the Gambling Reform Bill in 2013 also addressed this problem. The newly reduced taxes made it easier for providers to obtain a license and gave them a chance to offer their services to players once more. While this is excellent news, the laws surrounding the taxation of punters are even better. The Bulgarian government doesn't tax winnings that players make from gambling! Players might be subjected to fees from their chosen online gambling operators, but other than that, they get to keep their winnings virtually untouched.
Availability and Restrictions
The 2013 Gambling Reform Bill was a saving grace for both providers and players in Bulgaria. With the taxes now lower, the blacklist has been reduced significantly. Players are now free to play on a plethora of top-notch online betting sites as long as they're licensed. While there are still quite a few blocked sites sitting on the blacklist, it might be for the best. The majority of these websites are unlicensed and unregulated, posing a threat to players that might be unaware of their malpractices.
Bulgaria Betting Sites 2020
1998 – The Gaming Law
It wasn't until 1998 that the first truly effective and wide-ranging legislation related to the regulation of the gambling industry in Bulgaria was introduced. This came in the shape of the Gaming Law which gave some real shape to the industry and created Bulgaria's State Commission for Gambling (SCG). From this point on it was the SCG which was responsible for issuing licences within Bulgaria.
2008 – Online Gambling Legalised
In the year 2008, the Bulgarian government passed more legislation which this time fully legalised online gambling. In the same way as other gambling had remained largely un-regulated for the first few years of its legalisation, however, online gambling was also not properly regulated until 2012.
2012 – The Gambling Act
It was the Gambling Act of 2012 (download here) which went the longest way to fully regulating gambling within Bulgaria and was the first legislation to properly cover online gambling. The act was created to regulate the conditions and procedures for…
1. Organising of gambling games; 2. Organising of activities of manufacturing, distribution, and servicing and import, distribution, and servicing of gambling equipment; 3. Issuing, extending, revocation, and termination of licences for activities under items 1 and 2; and 4. Control over the activities under items 1 and 2.
In order to achieve those goals, however, the act also introduced a restrictive tax of 15% on providers' total turnover and allowed for the creation of a blacklist of unlicensed providers. Any organisations on that blacklist would be blocked by internet service providers in Bulgaria and in short order the list had grown to a length in excess of 350 companies.
2013 – Gambling Reform Bill
Unsurprisingly the high tax rate applied to the gambling industry and the restrictive nature of the SCG's blacklist did not please the gambling industry. Such was the uproar created, in fact, that the Bulgarian government passed the Gambling Reform Bill in 2013. This legislation relaxed the tax requirement to a one-time licensing fee of around €50,000 and a rate of 20% of a company's gross profits.
Tax on Winnings
As we have discussed above, taxation of gambling in Bulgaria has been a hot button issue in recent years and has created a great deal of conflict. For punters themselves, however, there is fortunately nothing to worry about.
This is the case as both the original 15% gambling tax rate and the more recently relaxed taxation legislation relates only to gambling providers and not to their customers. As is the case in many countries, in fact, the Bulgarian government do not tax the winnings which punters may make from gambling.
Deposit Methods
Gambling has long been legal in Bulgaria and as mentioned above there is also no issue with the taxation of winnings. As such, a punter's choice of deposit method can be dictated solely by issues such as speed of transfer, security and ease of use.
With that in mind it makes sense for any potential Bulgarian punters to deposit using either credit or debit card if possible. Those methods offer amongst the quickest deposits and withdrawals of any alternatives, are widely considered to be the most secure and are methods available to almost all customers.
- Send to Kindle
With the trend of online betting growing more and more by the day, people from all over the globe are looking to jump on the trend and have some fun. The chance to win big while following a sport you enjoy is a dream for many, and betting sites give people the chance to do this from the comfort of their own home. Naturally, the online betting trend has sparked some interest in the Eastern European country of Bulgaria. As big fans of football, basketball, and volleyballs, many Bulgarians hope to ditch traditional bookies for the more convenient online alternative.
Of course, this poses the question of the legality of online betting in the country. Since many countries around the world tend to have different laws surrounding online gambling and traditional gambling, many Bulgarians are uncertain if the option is even available to them. The history of gambling laws in Bulgaria is relatively short, but it does include some important things to note. That said, here's what you need to know about the laws regarding betting sites in Bulgaria.
Online Betting Is Legal
Gambling has been legal in Bulgaria since 1993 by government decree. Several casinos and other gambling establishments were legalized, although regulation was close to non-existent for the next few years. Thankfully, the problem with regulation was addressed appropriately in 1998 with the passing of the Gaming Law. A similar trend appeared a decade later when online gambling became legal in 2008. Regulation once again appeared to be very lax, until the 2012 Gambling Act that addressed proper regulation of online gambling inside the country.
While it's safe to say that most people who enjoyed casual gambling were satisfied with this, providers got the short end of the stick. The restrictive tax of 15% on the total turnover of providers caused an uproar that was addressed in the 2013 Gambling Reform Bill. The reforms included a much less restrictive solution that included a one-time licensing fee of €50,000 and 20% of the provider's gross profits. With everyone more or less satisfied with the resolution, Bulgarians are now free to have a good time on a safe list of betting sites that fulfill these requirements.
Online Betting Tax Laws
As we already mentioned, thanks to the 2013 Gambling Reform Bill, the providers are taxed 20% of the provider's gross profit after paying a one-time licensing fee. Other than the very high taxes of 15% on the provider's total turnover imposed with the 2012 Gambling Act, an additional issue was the creation of a blacklist for unlicensed providers. Websites that made it on the list were blocked by internet service providers in the country, and unfortunately, the list reached a very high number of over 350 websites!
Thankfully, the Gambling Reform Bill in 2013 also addressed this problem. The newly reduced taxes made it easier for providers to obtain a license and gave them a chance to offer their services to players once more. While this is excellent news, the laws surrounding the taxation of punters are even better. The Bulgarian government doesn't tax winnings that players make from gambling! Players might be subjected to fees from their chosen online gambling operators, but other than that, they get to keep their winnings virtually untouched.
Availability and Restrictions
The 2013 Gambling Reform Bill was a saving grace for both providers and players in Bulgaria. With the taxes now lower, the blacklist has been reduced significantly. Players are now free to play on a plethora of top-notch online betting sites as long as they're licensed. While there are still quite a few blocked sites sitting on the blacklist, it might be for the best. The majority of these websites are unlicensed and unregulated, posing a threat to players that might be unaware of their malpractices.
Although some may seem enticing due to their offers, it wouldn't be the first time for a betting site scam to make its way onto the gambling scene. Players should always make sure to check for licensing first whenever they hop onto an online betting site. Another restriction that needs to be addressed is the age restriction. Like with most countries across the globe, players under the age of 18 are not allowed to frequent gambling sites. Of course, this makes sense as it also corresponds to the legal drinking age in most European countries.
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