Bulgarian Lawmakers Push for Total Ban on Gambling Ads 

Bulgaria’s leading political party, the GERB-UDF, along with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party, has submitted a bill to the country’s parliament on April 24. The bill calls for a comprehensive prohibition on gambling advertising.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend Bulgaria’s Law on Gambling by eliminating gambling advertisements across all platforms, including the internet, television, radio, and print media.

If passed, gambling ads would be confined to billboards located more than 100 meters from schools and on the premises of gaming halls and casinos.

The bill also suggests limiting slots and casino gambling to areas with a population of more than 5,000 people.

Additionally, the bill proposes an increase in the capital requirement for companies applying for a slot machine license, raising it from $275,000 to $420,000.

This follows a similar move in Romania earlier in April, where the parliament banned slot machines in areas with a population of less than 15,000, effectively outlawing this type of gambling in rural areas.