Online Casino Bulgaria
Bulgaria – unlike many of its Eastern European counterparts – is a country which has fully legalised online gambling. Moreover, the Bulgarian gambling laws effectively provide regulation for the online casinos and betting sites which are legal in the country. Provided an operator adheres to Article 2 of the Bulgarian gambling laws it is legal to play there. What types of games do Bulgarians play, what makes a top Bulgarian online casino, and where can you play online? In this article, we will look at what the European nation has to offer its players regarding online gambling opportunities.
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An Overview of Gambling in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Firstly, you should know that online gambling is legal in Bulgaria. Bulgaria adjusted its gambling laws back in 2018, to ensure that virtually all forms of gambling are legal and regulated in the country. This does not mean that you can simply play at any site you see fit, though. There are rules, and these are neither difficult to understand or follow. Here is what you need to know…
Bulgaria’s gambling laws are defined in the Gaming Act (Zakon za Hazarta). The second article of this law stipulates that all forms of gambling are legal, provided they adhere to the provisions as laid down by Bulgaria’s gambling legislation. The legislation used to regulate casinos and other forms of gambling (including land-based betting) is governed by the State Commission on Gambling. This entity was formed by the Ministry of Finance of Bulgaria.
The gambling authority has the power to issue gambling licenses to operators who wish to cater to players in the Eastern European nation. There are, as you might imagine, many casinos which have snapped up a license to offer their services to Bulgarian players. Initially, the taxes on revenue made from gambling was quite high in the country, and this saw many international operators turn away from the market. The Bulgarian Government has since rectified this, and the lower taxes have made many international operators eager to set up shop in the country.
Games at Bulgaria Online Casinos Bulgaria is not only famous for its well-regulated and developed gameplay market, but also for their software developers. After all, there are several companies to date which are registered and operate out of their Bulgaria offices, including the likes of Casino Technology, as well as the founders of Felix Gaming. Online gambling was officially legalized in Bulgaria in February 2008 under the initiative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance. The detailed regulations on the matter were enacted four years later – in 2012. The country granted an online gaming licence to PokerStars by the State Gambling Commission in February 2014. Jungle Spirit: Call of the Wild. Relatively young European bookmaker – 22BET – is established in 2017. However that The Casino Bulgaria Inferno Slot Casino doesn’t stop it to offer very good platform for sports bettors and casino Read more. Casino Promotions Leave a comment. Quick Hit PLAY FREE.
As well as online casino sites, Bulgaria also permits players to play at poker rooms, although there are none currently in operation in the country. Lottery websites are accessible, but these tend to be run by a monopoly, the state-licensed Bulgarian Sports Totalizator. The same organisation also has jurisdiction when it comes to online bingo, as these games are deemed lotteries. Sports betting is also legal in Bulgaria under the Gaming Act.
Bulgaria does take steps to block foreign sportsbooks and casinos which have not acquired a gambling license from the authorities. However, their blocks are hardly sufficient, and most Bulgarians can get around them with a half-decent VPN (virtual private network). Moreover, there is no law in the country which sees Bulgarians prosecuted for visiting such sites.
Bulgaria’s Most Played Casino Games
Bulgaria has legalised virtually all forms of gambling, and they have regulated those games, to boot. This means that players in the country have a large selection of different types of games that they can play. Here are just a few of the popular ones that Bulgarians like to try their hand at:
Slots:Slots are amongst the most popular games at Bulgarian online casinos. You can expect to find a wealth of these titles, including games from the most renowned providers in the online casino world. Classic slots, video slots, 3D slots, mobile slots and progressive jackpot games are not out of place or in short supply at Bulgarian online casinos.
Table Games: RNG (random number generator) table games are also legal in Bulgaria. You will typically find baccarat, blackjack, roulette, table poker games, as well as craps, sic bo and a few oddities in a typical Bulgarian online casino site.
Live Dealer Casino Games: These are not as common at Bulgarian online casinos as RNG table games, but they can still be found. In most cases, these games only consist of baccarat, blackjack and roulette and can often only be played in English.
Poker Games: While there are no poker rooms in Bulgaria, playing poker games is certainly legal. Many of the country’s top internet betting sites carry poker games in both RNG and live dealer format. Just do not expect as broad a variety of games as you would typically expect to see at Western European domains.
Lottery and Bingo: Lottery and bingo games are considered the same in Bulgaria. Both can appear as online casinos. However, these games more commonly show up at the sites run by the state-sponsored monopoly. Instant win games such as scratch cards can often be found alongside bingo and lottery games at these sites.
Sports Betting: Sports betting is big business in Bulgaria. Online sportsbooks may or may not offer other games, such as casino games, but they are typically carrying extensive betting markets for Bulgarians to engage in. These domains will typically feature an ample supply of football bets, and other leading sports betting options, many of which are accessible via mobile phones and tablet devices.
Taxes on Big Wins at Bulgarian Casinos
Taxes
As mentioned earlier, when Bulgaria first started to look at legalising online casino gaming, it slapped a hefty tax down on operators based on the revenues they made from Bulgarian players. This did not work out so well, and many operators left the market. Since 2012, the authorities have been more cautious about hitting companies with big gambling taxes, leading to an influx of new domains for Bulgarians to choose from.
To date, the gambling tax required by licensed operators stands at 20% of their total revenue from Bulgarians. This is still quite high for many operators, but less than the tax rate of some of their fellow European nations.
What about taxes on Bulgarian players? You will be delighted to hear that Bulgaria does not tax a player’s winnings, provided they win at a Bulgarian licensed casino. Players who win playing at offshore casinos (remember, they are technically illegal), and who win playing at land-based venues when abroad are expected to declare their winnings when they return to Bulgaria. However, few Bulgarians do, and there does not appear to be any repercussions for not doing so.
The Best Bulgarian Online Casinos to Join Today
We have looked at what the current Bulgarian gambling laws say. We have also looked at the tax rules in Bulgaria and had a peek at the types of games that Bulgarians like to play when betting online. However, what should the best Bulgarian online casinos offer their players? What kinds of features should you expect to look for if you want to play at the best online casinos in Bulgaria? Stick to the list below, and you can virtually assure yourself that you are playing at one of the best sites in the business.
Safety and Security: Of course, when you opt to play at a Bulgarian licensed online casino, you are guaranteeing yourself that you are playing at a legal and licensed domain. If you choose to play at international sites, try to pick ones which feature licenses out of reputable jurisdictions, such as the UK and Malta. Moreover, ensure that those casinos have responsible gaming policies in place.
Fair Bonuses and Promotions: Bulgarian casinos are limited in terms of the bonuses and promotions they can offer to nationals, thanks to Bulgaria’s regulation. However, offshore casinos are not tied to these rules. When claiming bonuses and promotions, ensure that your chosen casino has fair terms and conditions attached to them and that Bulgarians are eligible to claim those offers.
Bulgarian Language: Bulgarians can speak English, and some can speak a variety of other languages. However, you will feel most at home when being able to play in Bulgarian. The best online casinos in Bulgaria will ensure that this is possible.
Bulgarian-Friendly Payment Methods: Bulgarians use several different payment methods, including VISA, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller and Todito. Sofort, TrustPay and Instadebit, as well as bank transfers, are also popular. A good variety of these should be offered, and the casino should at least accept the euro currency, but ideally, the Bulgarian lev.
A Plethora of Games: As mentioned, Bulgarians have access to a variety of games. The trouble is, sometimes not all these games are available on the same site, so multiple accounts are needed. The best Bulgarian casinos will provide you with access to many different types of gambling games with a single account.
Bulgarian Customer Support: As with gameplay, Bulgarians are going to feel most comfortable when they can play in their own language. Any top casino will make sure that customer support is also available in Bulgarian, and via live chat, no less.
Any Bulgarian online casino which checks most (if not all) of the boxes listed above will be amongst the best in the business. Many offshore casinos also fit the bill. If you want a heads up finding a top Bulgarian casino to play at, feel free to check out the surplus of recommended and approved casino sites listed here on this page.
Online casinos in Bulgaria have been licensed to some degree or another since 2008. The initial rollout of pro-online gambling legislation was rocky, but amendments to the law since then have significantly smoothed things over. Today’s Bulgarian casino sites are well-regulated and completely legal.
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Bulgarian lawmakers deserve some credit for their willingness to scrap previous laws that simply did not work to give gamblers a decent selection of options. Amendments to the Gambling Act have made Bulgaria a nation that strikes the right balance between regulation and a competitive free market.
About a dozen Bulgarian online casinos have been licensed to date and more are expected to receive legal status in the near the future. The current list of licensed operators consists of a combination of local operators and international gambling sites. It is our opinion that big name international operators are the best due to having experience competing on the world stage.
Bulgarian Gambling Law
The Gambling Act of 2012 and subsequent amendments provide the legal foundation for online gambling in Bulgaria today. Lawmakers began the process of legalizing online casinos in 2008, but it wasn’t until 2012 that actual regulations were put forth and implemented by the Gambling Act.
Originally, the Gambling Act was unfavourable to a functioning online gambling market due to excessive taxation. The original Gambling Act called for a 15% tax on total betting turnover. That is, the government wanted 15% of every bet placed online regardless of operators’ actual net revenues.
The tax regime made it nearly impossible for licensed online casinos in Bulgaria to survive, let alone profit. As a result, most major international operators chose not to pursue a license. Some gambling websites wrote off the Bulgarian market entirely and stopped accepting customers from Bulgaria. Others decided to skip the licensing process but continue to accept Bulgarians despite lacking the proper licensing to do so.
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Initially, Bulgarian lawmakers attempted to control the issue through sheer brute force. The government created a blacklist of websites that were found to be operating in Bulgaria without a proper gambling license. Internet service providers were ordered to block access to all unlicensed casino websites doing business without a license.
The blacklist quickly ballooned to eventually include more than 300 sites considered prohibited. Bulgaria’s internet censorship campaign made life difficult for international websites interested in the market, but it did little to convince the industry that a Bulgarian license was worth the trouble and expense. The 15% tax on turnover was simply too much for most online casinos to bear.
With their efforts to tame the offshore industry unsuccessful, Bulgarian lawmakers chose to amend the Gambling Act in order to make the market more attractive to would-be licensees. Amendments to the Act in 2014 created a new tax regime that did exactly that.
Most noteworthy of these amendments was the decision to scrap the 15% turnover tax and replace it with a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue. The new rules take taxes after expenses are accounted for and is now affordable for operators.
With the tax situation under control, Bulgaria is now one of the better licensing jurisdictions for gambling operators. Gambling sites are not forced to establish a brick-and-mortar presence in Bulgaria as long as they have base of operations in any other EU/EEA nation or Switzerland.
Eleven online gambling sites are now licensed to operate in Bulgaria. The Sate Commission on Gambling publishes a list of licensed online casinos here. If you ever question whether or not a gambling website is authorized to do business in Bulgaria, you can check that page to see which sites hold active licenses.
The updated Gambling Act also includes strict advertising standards for licensed online casinos and severe limitations on unlicensed operators. Licensed casinos do have the ability to advertise in Bulgarian media, but all advertisements must adhere to three key standards:
- Decent
- Honest
- Truthful
As far as “decency” goes, the state expects gambling advertising campaigns to do nothing that encourages problem gambling, that caters to those who may have gambling problems or that target underage gamblers. In short, the government expects gambling websites to avoid targeting vulnerable populations.
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Honesty and truthfulness standards require operators to always advertise in a manner that is straightforward. Online casino advertisements cannot abuse the trust of consumers, take advantage of their lack of knowledge or use any sort of deception in their promotion. The law does not explicitly define what counts as deception or “abuse of trust,” but instead expects operators to use common sense. In this case, the intent of the law matters more than the letter of the law.