Bulgaria Seeks to Regulate Online Gaming

In an attempt to block online gaming operators with no local license from doing business in their country, the Bulgarian government has ramped up its efforts to do so by passing new gambling legislation which will blacklist unlicensed operators. This follows the implementation of legislation enacted in March 2012 which attempted to regulate gambling for the first time in this southeastern European country of some 7.3 million people.

Bulgarian lawmakers operating under a parliamentary system have approved and begun implementing internet gambling regulatory measures and placing internet blocks on unlicensed operators. After the regulations are finalized by the State Gambling Commission and approved by the Sofia Regional Court, the ban will finally become effective.

The new law sets licensing requirements for all online casino operators, both Bulgarian and foreign, and makes provision for requests to Internet service providers to block access to unlicensed gambling websites.

There has even been publication of a "blacklist" of illegal operators, signaling a more serious approach by the Bulgarian government to put a stop to this problem once and for all.

In addition, the new law also involves clauses which will restrict gambling advertising even to licensed operators, causing concern among some that this is just the beginning of ever more draconian measures.

In an effort to realize the positives of online gaming, government advisers have stated that the regulation of online gambling could bring another 100 million Lev (BGN) (Euro 50 million) of annual revenues to their emerging market economy.