Bulgarian Parliament Rejects Proposal to Centralize Gambling Under State Control
Bulgaria’s parliament has voted down a plan to transfer all gambling activity into state hands.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:On Wednesday, the National Assembly failed to approve a draft bill that would have placed the country’s gambling market under the control of the Bulgarian National Lottery and effectively created a state monopoly. The motion, submitted by MP Hristo Rastashki and supported by the Vazrazhdane group, received 58 votes in favor, 14 against and 96 abstentions – far short of the 121 votes required to pass the measure.
The proposal followed a separate initiative to open a tender for a new concession for the National Lottery, a move proponents argued would mirror models in other European markets such as the United Kingdom, where licensed private operators run national lottery services under strict regulatory terms. Backers of Rastashki’s draft said concentrating licensing and operations under the Sports Totalizator and the National Lottery would allow the state to better control gambling availability and curb social harms.
Related: Bulgaria Moves to Privatise State Lottery and Betting Monopoly
Political Fallout and Industry Response
The debate exposed deep partisan divisions. Vazrazhdane MP Kliment Shopov described gambling as a societal scourge and called for even tougher measures, saying the sector fuels addiction and drains household incomes. “Gambling has become a mechanism that preys on vulnerable people; if we truly want to protect society, we must consider the full range of options – including prohibition”, Shopov told the assembly.
Yet opponents warned that centralizing the market would risk destabilizing legal channels and driving players to the black market. GERB-UDF lawmaker Branimir Balachev argued the measure would also carry a steep fiscal cost. “This plan would immediately erode roughly EUR 200 million in annual revenue and undermine Bulgaria’s position as a gambling tourism destination”, Balachev said, highlighting the sector’s contribution from visitors, including tourists from Israel, Iran and neighbouring countries.
Industry groups and some lawmakers pointed to enforcement failures rather than the licensing model as the core problem. On Bulgaria’s streets, casinos and betting outlets remain highly visible, and restrictions on signage and location are often poorly enforced. That regulatory vacuum, critics said, has allowed companies to exploit unclear rules and has weakened efforts to channel players toward licensed operators.
Legal and market analysts warned that a state monopoly would not automatically solve those enforcement gaps. Dr. Ivan Kolev, a public policy researcher at Sofia University who has published on gambling regulation in Eastern Europe, said: "Establishing a monopoly without building a robust compliance and enforcement framework is a shortcut to dysfunction. Many European countries combine licensed private operators with strict oversight and player protections – the issue in Bulgaria is weak enforcement rather than the variety of licensees."
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Regulatory Enforcement and Next Steps
The National Assembly’s vote does not close the chapter on gambling reform. Lawmakers signalled they may revisit separate measures, including the planned tender for the National Lottery concession and revisions to licensing rules administered by the State Commission on Gambling. Stakeholders from the Ministry of Finance, the State Commission and the private sector are expected to push for a package that pairs any structural change with tougher enforcement, clearer advertising rules and improved anti-money-laundering controls.
Experts suggest an actionable path forward would focus on enforcement capacity and transparency. "If Bulgaria wants to reduce harm, it must invest in inspection, monitoring and treatment services while preserving clear, predictable market rules”, said Dr. Kolev. "A poorly designed state monopoly risks enlarging, not shrinking, the shadow market – and it removes the competitive incentives that can drive better consumer protections and innovation."
For now, the status quo remains: a mixed market with persistent regulatory challenges. The debate has, however, sharpened political attention on gambling policy and set the stage for further legislative proposals ahead of the next parliamentary session.
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