Online gambling in Bulgaria is legal and regulated: casino and sports betting are permitted only when the operator holds a licence from the National Revenue Agency (NRA), which took over gambling regulation in August 2020. Player winnings from Bulgarian or other EU/EEA-licensed operators are free of personal income tax, but crypto gambling remains a legal grey area, and unlicensed offshore sites are illegal to operate and may be blocked.

Bulgaria has one of the more established online gambling regimes in the Balkans. Remote casino games and sports betting are legal, but every activity offered in Bulgaria must be covered by a licence issued by the NRA. Operating without that licence is illegal, and the authorities can order internet and payment blocking of offshore sites. In practice some Bulgarian players still reach international sites, but those operators are outside Bulgarian oversight and consumer protection.

The Regulator: National Revenue Agency (NRA)

Until 2020, gambling was overseen by the State Commission on Gambling. That body was abolished on 8 August 2020 and its functions - licensing, supervision, tax collection and the public registers - were transferred to the NRA under amendments to the Gambling Act (originally adopted in 2012). The NRA now issues online licences, enforces AML/KYC and responsible-gaming rules, collects gambling taxes and blocks illegal operators.

Licensing is demanding. Online betting organisers must hold substantial paid-up capital (reported in the region of one to one-and-a-half million leva), and player data must be stored in Bulgaria and reported to the NRA. A near-total ban on gambling advertising took effect on 18 May 2024, prohibiting ads on TV, radio, print and websites, with only limited exceptions (such as certain billboards, social media and sports venues not aimed at children) and mandatory addiction warnings.

Licensed vs Offshore Sites

NRA-licensedOffshore / unlicensed
Legal to operate in BulgariaYesNo
Winnings income-tax-freeYesNo (taxable)
Consumer protection / self-exclusionYesNo
Can be ISP/payment-blockedNoYes

Sticking to NRA-licensed brands is the safest route. Well-known locally licensed names include Efbet, Winbet and Palms Bet, alongside the state lottery, Bulgarian Sports Totalizator.

Payment Methods Bulgarians Use

Most play is in Bulgarian lev (BGN). Common deposit and withdrawal rails include local debit and credit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets. Licensed operators run identity verification, so expect KYC checks on registration and withdrawal.

Crypto Gambling Status

Cryptocurrency gambling is not covered by a dedicated framework in Bulgarian gambling law, leaving it in a grey area. There is no distinct NRA crypto-casino licence category, so any purely crypto casino a Bulgarian player uses is very likely offshore and unlicensed; some reports suggest NRA-licensed operators may accept crypto for payments. Crypto-assets in general are regulated under the EU’s MiCA framework, which Bulgaria transposed into national law in 2025 - but that is separate from any gambling licence. Treat crypto casinos as unregulated for gambling purposes: no Bulgarian gambling consumer protection applies.

Tax on Winnings

Good news for players: winnings from operators licensed in Bulgaria or another EU/EEA state are exempt from personal income tax. Winnings from unlicensed, offshore sites are considered taxable income and should be declared. The gambling tax burden falls on operators - the gross gaming revenue (GGR) tax rose from 20% to 25% on 1 January 2026 as part of the state budget.

Safer Gambling Help

The NRA runs a Vulnerable Persons Register allowing self-exclusion of at least one year (extended from 30 days in March 2024). For support, Bulgaria’s National Information Line on Drugs, Alcohol and Gambling is reachable on 0888-99-18-66 (Mon-Fri, 10:00-17:00).

18+ only. Gambling can be addictive - please play responsibly and seek help if it stops being fun.

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