Gambling advertising should be completely banned in Bulgaria, according to Bozhidar Bozhanov, co-chairman of Yes, Bulgaria and a member of the National Assembly, who presented proposed legislative changes aimed at closing what he described as loopholes in the current restrictions.
Bozhanov said gambling had become an “epidemic” and argued that the restrictions introduced in 2024 had not been sufficient because they were being circumvented and were not being properly enforced by the state.
“That is why today we are introducing changes to close all loopholes and ban gambling advertising everywhere and in all ways,” Bozhanov said in the National Assembly.
According to him, gambling advertisements have become pervasive in Bulgarian cities. He also pointed to television advertising, saying that during the football World Cup, viewers were exposed to what he described as endless gambling advertisements, including on public television.
The proposed changes seek to strengthen the existing ban on online gambling advertising and introduce additional mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement. Bozhanov said the National Revenue Agency is currently failing to adequately address the problem.
