A bill that can presumably perchance perchance ban virtually all forms of gambling marketing in Bulgaria used to be submitted the day earlier than at the contemporary time (24 April).
The bill used to be collectively submitted by the GERB-UDF and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. It used to be launched by Temenuzka Petkova and Yordan Tsonev.
The bill aims to amend Bulgaria’s Law on Playing. It proposes a ban on gambling adverts appearing on-line, on television, on the radio and in print media. Ads would also no longer be allowed to appear on structures.
If the bill passes, adverts would preferrred be shown on billboards extra than 100 metres from colleges and on gaming halls and casino structures.
Petkova and Tsoney also proposed a ban on gaining access to sites that host unlawful gambling, to boot to blocking fee to those sites. For sites that facilitate unlawful gambling, Petkova and Tsonev stipulate a comely ranging between BGN50,000 (£21,900/€25,564/$27,419) to BGN200,000. This comely would also prepare to companies that facilitate funds to unlawful gambling operators.
Of us that partake in unlawful gambling would also face a comely of between BGN500 and BGN2,000.
Efficient ban on slots in much less-populated areas
The bill would also preferrred enable slots and casino gambling in areas with a population over 5,000. Exceptions would prepare to nationwide motels and areas no extra than 30m away from roads, railways and river crossings.
Earlier this month Romania’s parliament voted to implement a the same proposal. In voting in favour of Govt Emergency Ordinance 82/2023, it placed a ban on slot machines in areas with a population of below 15,000. This effectively prohibited slot machines in rural areas.
Bulgaria’s bill also proposes an develop in the quantity of capital that companies must absorb in disclose to prepare for slot machine licences. The develop would be to between BGN500,000 to BGN750,000.
How socially responsible funds are distributed would also alternate, with half of of the quantity required to be donated by operators going to the ministry of health for gambling dependancy treatment programmes.
Law tightening up in Bulgaria
The poke to ban gambling adverts in Bulgaria comes after the nation has ramped up its focal point on the alternate in the previous yr. In January, its ministry of finance estimated that gambling would generate BGN200m for Bulgaria’s budget.
In August closing yr, Bulgaria’s Nationwide Revenue Agency (NRA) launched a recent money laundering unit to implement anti-money laundering requirements, such as customer verification and transaction monitoring. The unit used to be established following tension from the Monetary Motion Task Pressure, a money laundering watchdog.
Below Bulgaria’s Law on Playing, the NRA holds responsibility for the monitoring of gambling marketing. The NRA took adjust after Bulgaria abolished the Speak Playing Price in 2020.
Additionally in August, the NRA ordered operators to ban self-excluded workers from coming into casinos or gambling halls.
