The history of gambling in Bulgaria has followed a long and uneven road over the years. There was a complete prohibition in the 19th century and then a tightly controlled monopoly under communism. The modern iteration is well-regulated and liberalised.
Understanding how exactly Bulgaria got to its current framework means looking back more than a century, when playing slots online was beyond the wildest realms of possibility.
Early Prohibition
The origins of Bulgarian gambling regulation date back to the 1800s. The modern Bulgarian state was emerging from Ottoman rule in the late 19th century and games of chance were seen as a social problem.
Concerns about widespread corruption and the disorder associated with unregulated betting meant that the authorities imposed a complete ban on gambling towards the end of the century.
