Increased control and fight against illegal sites

Bulgaria is one of the few Eastern European countries that has managed to almost completely legalize online gambling, displacing unlicensed platforms from the domestic market.

After the 2020 reforms, control functions were transferred to the National Revenue Agency (NRA), which received the authority not only to license operators, but also to actively block illegal sites and payments.

This system has turned Bulgaria into a digital compliance model - where control does not interfere with business, but ensures the confidence of players and investors.

1) Reasons for increased control

Until 2020, the market suffered from the presence of hundreds of foreign sites that accepted bets without a license.

Main problems:

tax withdrawal to the "gray zone";
lack of protection for players and RG instruments;
increased risks of fraud and money laundering;
weak coordination between the regulator and payment providers.

The solution: Put control in the hands of the NRA, creating a centralized structure that combines tax monitoring, licensing and cyber control.

2) NRA powers after 2020 reform

According to the Gambling Act amendments:

The NRA became the sole body overseeing licenses, tax revenue and law enforcement.
The agent received the right to block domains and IP addresses that accept bets without a license.
A registry of illegal sites has been introduced, updated weekly.
Internet providers and banks are required to stop accessing such resources and transfers in their favor.
All payment transactions go through the NRA system, which automatically identifies suspicious transactions.

3) Registry of prohibited domains

An open list of sites operating without a license is maintained.

Carriers are required to block specified domains within 72 hours of publication.

The list is regularly updated, and users receive a block notification with a link to the NRA's official website.

When trying to access prohibited domains, a message is displayed:

"This site does not have a license to operate in the Republic of Bulgaria."

This has become an effective tool - the level of illegal traffic has decreased by more than 80% in two years.

4) Payment control and interaction with banks

NRA cooperates with national and international payment systems (including Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard).

On/off-ramp payments only go through licensed KYC/AML filtered providers.

Banks are required to reject transfers to operators who are not on the NRA register.

A log of all gambling transactions is maintained for risk analysis and reporting to the EU.

5) Integration of IT systems and fiscal monitoring

All licensed platforms are connected to the NRA's centralized fiscal platform, fixing rates, winnings and real-time payouts.

Illegal sites do not have access to this system and are automatically subject to sanctions.

It uses an automatic cyberscanner that analyzes traffic and detects anonymous IP segments and mirrors.

Data are compared with international databases (FATF, Interpol, EGBA).

The result: quick locks, minimizing "mirrors" and a steady decrease in illegal operations.

6) Sanctions and liability

Violation	Sanction
Activities without license	Domain blocking and fine up to €25,000
Betting without reporting to the NRA	Freezing of funds and license cancellation
Payment transactions with illegal operators	PSP/Bank Financial Responsibility
Repeated violation	Criminal prosecution and blocking of assets

7) The role of international cooperation

The NRA is coordinating with:

Interpol and Europol - exchange of data on fraud schemes;
EGBA and Gambling Compliance - monitoring of EU standards;
National regulators of Romania, Greece, Croatia and the Czech Republic - exchange of lists of blocked domains and fraudulent brands;
FATF and AMLD directives - tracking suspicious transactions.

Thus, the fight against illegal online gambling has become part of the pan-European anti-criminal infrastructure.

8) Market impact

After Reform 2020-2022:

95% of large operators operate under an NRA license;
the number of illegal sites has more than tripled;
the share of "gray" traffic fell from 30% to 7-8%;
increased user confidence: the number of active players on legal platforms increased by 40%;
international brands (Betano, Bet365, PokerStars) have opened local domains with transparent reporting.

9) Technological future of control

Through 2030, the NRA plans to:

Implement AI monitoring of domains and IP patterns
use blockchain audit of transactions for anti-fraud monitoring;
integrate RG public statistics (share of self-exclusions, limits, complaints);
expand coordination with the EU on MiCA standards (regulation of crypto payments).

10) Social and social significance

The fight against illegal sites is not just a fiscal tool, but an element of protecting citizens:

prevents minors from accessing gambling;
protects player deposits from fraudulent sites;
reduces the risks of money laundering;
builds trust in licensed operators.

Bulgaria has become an example of successful control of online gambling in Eastern Europe.

The centralization of supervision at the National Revenue Agency, automated locks and real-time fiscal monitoring have almost completely eliminated the gray segment.

Today Bulgaria is one of the safest and most transparent EU jurisdictions for iGaming, where law, technology and responsibility form a strong shield against illegal operators.