Bulgaria’s centrist political party We Continue the Change has proposed a sweeping review of gambling advertising rules, targeting loopholes left behind by previous legislation.
The party has historically been one of the most vocal critics of the Bulgarian gambling industry, consistently pushing for tighter restrictions on marketing over recent years.
The draft proposal, reported by the Bulgarian National Radio, calls for a full outdoor advertising ban covering billboards, public transport stops, and all buildings across the country.
Land-based gambling venues would be exempt from the proposed outdoor advertising restrictions, representing the only carve-out included in the draft as currently written.
Just this past July, the party urged Prime Minister Roumen Radev’s cabinet to introduce similar measures ahead of the adoption of Bulgaria’s 2026/27 Budget.
Deputy Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova rejected that push, citing the government’s ongoing preparation of a full review of the Gambling Act as the reason for the delay.
That Gambling Act review has already produced at least one concrete development, with the recent introduction of a formal licensing regime specifically targeting affiliate operators.
Bulgaria’s gambling regulations underwent their largest overhaul in decades back in 2024, introducing stricter licensing compliance requirements, stronger player protection measures, and tighter rules on gambling marketing.
That 2024 reform also resulted in gambling advertisements being completely banned from television, social media, radio, and print channels across the country.
However, the recent broadcast of the World Cup on Bulgarian National Television sparked fresh controversy, with operators including inbet, Efbet, and 8888 prominently promoting franchising opportunities during prime time coverage.
While the advertising in question was not explicitly aimed at consumers, the heavy branding of those operators throughout major national broadcasts drew significant attention from critics.
The issue extends beyond broadcasting, with several major Bulgarian sports competitions sponsored directly by gambling companies, including the elite Efbet League and the MrBit Second League.
The annual knockout tournament known as the Sesame Cup also carries gambling operator sponsorship, illustrating how deeply the industry remains embedded in Bulgarian sports culture despite existing advertising restrictions.
