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History of gambling in Bulgaria
The history of gambling in Bulgaria is a mirror of political and economic changes in the Balkans. From the first public lotteries and "bourgeois" casinos of the times between the two world wars - through the socialist model with the state lottery - to post-socialist liberalization, European regulation and the online market. Below is a holistic overview of how the industry was formed and why today Bulgaria remains a significant point of casino tourism in the Black Sea and the Balkans.
I. Early forms and pre-revolutionary lotteries (late XIX - early XX centuries)
Public lotteries and charity circulations. As in many European countries, in Bulgaria in the late XIX - early XX centuries. lottery draws were used to raise funds for social and cultural projects.
Cafes and clubs: card games, billiards, private circles - an informal "school" of entertainment for urban strata.
II. interwar time: resort halls and European style (1920s - 1930s)
Black Sea coast and capital. Sofia, Varna and resorts develop hotel infrastructure and evening salons: roulette, maps, balls, concerts.
Tourist image. Casinos and dance halls are becoming part of the "European leisure": seasonal tourism, gastronomy, music.
The regulation of the time sought to balance tax income and morals by periodically tightening controls.
III. Socialist era: prohibitions, gosloteria and sporttotalizer (1940s - 1989)
Ideological framework. Private casinos and commercial gambling are shutting down.
State forms of the game.
Goslotereya/circulation - state-controlled products built into the planned economy.
Sports sweepstakes (from the middle of the 20th century) - a tool for financing sports; forms a mass culture of betting on football in the "allowed" format.
Resorts as a "showcase." Tourist complexes (Golden Sands, Sunny Beach, Borovets) are developing for foreigners; within the framework of foreign policy, entertainment formats with strict control are possible.
IV. Transition and liberalization (1990s)
Return of the private sector. After 1989, the first modern casinos were opened in Sofia, Varna, in the resorts of the Black Sea and in border areas (traffic from Turkey, Greece, Romania, Serbia).
Private betting networks. Rapid growth of ground-based betting stations, game halls, video lottery terminal halls.
Problems of the young market: multi-level quality of regulation, the need to unify standards, the fight against the illegal segment.
V. European Harmonisation and the Gambling Act 2012
Institutionalization. By the beginning of the 2010s, a modern regulatory framework was being created, culminating in the 2012 Gambling Act: licensing of operators, requirements for equipment, audits, and transparency of payments.
Online segment. Gradual legalization of remote services: control of domain names, registers of allowed/prohibited sites, cooperation with payment providers.
Supervision and compliance. KYC/AML procedures, RNG and gaming platform certification, responsible advertising standards are approved.
VI. 2020 reforms: New oversight and monopoly on lotteries
Administrative reform of supervision. In 2020, the functions of the former profile body are transferred to the National Revenue Agency (NAP), which strengthens fiscal discipline and tax collection.
Lottery products. A state monopoly on lotteries was introduced in favor of the Bulgarian sports sweepstakes; private companies are prohibited from issuing their own lottery tickets and scratches.
The purpose of the changes: to reduce gray practices, unify tax flows, strengthen control over advertising and social responsibility.
VII. Online gambling: mobile era, payments and control
Mobile-first. Bulgarian players are active users of mobile applications: live betting, streams, match centers, casino lobbies.
Payments. Bank cards and transfers, international e-wallets, prepaid vouchers; the role of instant KYC checks is growing.
Content. Sports (football, tennis, basketball), statistical markets, live casinos, localized slot providers.
Control and RG. Lists of blocked domains, age verification, "limits and timeouts" tools, advertising liability.
VIII. Casino tourism: Black Sea, mountains and "border" clusters
The sea. Varna, Burgas, Golden Sands and Sunny Beach resorts - seasonal tourist flow, evening shows, tournament weekends.
Mountains. Bansko, Borovets - winter events, city-break-format with gastronomy.
Border zones. Gambling halls and casinos in cities near borders have historically targeted the "incoming demand" of neighboring countries.
Experience economics. Casinos increase the occupancy of hotels outside the "beach peak," increase the average check due to gastronomy, entertainment and MICE.
IX. Social aspects and responsible play
Balance of interests. Tax revenues and employment ↔ protection of vulnerable groups.
RG practices. Deposit/time limits, self-exclusion, staff risk recognition training, advertising restrictions.
Public discussions. On the location of halls in cities, on the permissible level of exposure of adolescents to advertising, on the ethics of sponsorship of sports clubs.
X. Economics and taxes (generalized)
Fiscal objective. Transparent taxation of GGR/NET for different verticals, license fees, fees for equipment/tables/terminals.
Payment discipline. The transfer of supervision functions to the NAP strengthened the control of "white" payments and reporting.
Investments. Modernization of halls, IT infrastructure, anti-fraud solutions, personnel training (dealers, analysts, compliance).
XI. Comparison with neighbors (cultural and regulatory perspective)
Romania. A similar bet on mobile-first and live markets; in Romania, the emphasis is on omnichannel (PPS↔prilozheniye) and wide online painting.
Greece. Strong national operators and resort model; high emphasis on online licensing.
Turkey. Strict restrictions on casinos and online within the country → "outbound" demand.
Bulgaria competes for summer/winter flow and for the attention of the online audience with the quality of service and the predictability of the rules.
XII. Key Milestones (Timeline)
con. XIX - beg. XX centuries - charitable and public lotteries.
1920s - 1930s - European-style resort casinos and evening halls.
1940s - 1989 - socialist model: state lottery, sporttotalizer; private casinos do not.
1990s - liberalization: private casinos, bookmakers, gambling halls; beginnings online.
2012 - the modern Law on Gambling (licenses, technical standards, online frame) was adopted.
2020 - reforms: transfer of supervision to NAP, state monopoly on lotteries.
XIII. Bulgaria in the digital decade: trends until 2030 (review)
1. Strengthening the online segment: betting on mobile UX, live micromarkets, transparent RTP/rules.
2. Offline rebranding: premium lounges in resort clusters, synergy with gastro/music/MICE to smooth out seasonality.
3. Technologies and compliance: anti-boot filters, behavioral scoring, fast KYC, reports on RG metrics.
4. Advertising and sports: stricter standards, emphasis on responsible messaging; the development of e-sports events as a soft alternative to "hard" promo.
5. Payments: reliable PSP and instant outputs T + 0/T + 1; when clear rules for stablecoins appear, point integration through providers with full KYC/AML.
XIV Output
The history of gambling in Bulgaria is the path from European interwar salons and the state lottery model of socialism to a mature market that combines resort tourism and an online digital product. The reforms of 2012 and 2020 set the vector: transparent rules, fiscal discipline and social responsibility. It is this bundle - together with the strong tourist potential of the Black Sea and mountain resorts - that determines the sustainability of Bulgarian gambling in the next decade.