Bulgaria was added to the FATF grey list back in 2023. Since then, the government has gradually stepped up its compliance rules across key sectors. The most recent move sees Bulgaria establishing a dedicated AML task force embedded within the National Police.
Outgoing Interior Minister Daniel Mitov described the task force as part of a new institutional framework for tackling financial crime. He called it "a decisive step and a good formula through which the Bulgarian state is establishing a new institutional framework to combat this type of crime."
Tighter Controls for Gambling Operators
The gambling sector is among the most heavily scrutinized industries under Bulgaria's tightening compliance drive.
With the National Revenue Agency (NRA) assuming centralized oversight of all licensed operators after the State Commission of Gambling was dissolved in August 2020, the agency now holds a broader mandate to enforce financial transparency and AML compliance across the industry. Part of the new compliance rules requires the transmission of gaming data, including sessions, bets, and payouts, directly to NRA servers in real time. Software updates and technical infrastructure also require NRA approval before deployment.
