Best Online Casinos in Bulgaria

Online casino licensing in Bulgaria

The current phase of state control over gambling in Bulgaria began in August 2020, when amendments to the Gambling Act transferred oversight to the Executive Director of the National Revenue Agency (NRA). Since then, the NRA has been responsible for issuing licences, ongoing supervision, and collecting gambling taxes and fees, including for online gambling. The Agency maintains public registers, publishes regulatory decisions, and keeps a “white list” of websites through which licensed gambling is offered.

Any operator that wants to offer an online casino or sports betting must obtain a licence from the Executive Director of the NRA. Applications can be submitted by companies registered in Bulgaria, the EU/EEA or Switzerland, provided they meet strict capital and investment requirements. The central IT system and telecoms equipment must be located in Bulgaria, the EU/EEA or Switzerland, and the operator must maintain a separate bank account in a licensed bank in one of these jurisdictions for accepting deposits and paying out winnings. Offshore structures are not allowed.

Technical and data requirements are very strict. Every gaming session, bet, and payout must be recorded and transmitted in real time over a dedicated channel to the NRA server, with each operation registered online. All software, jackpot systems, communication equipment and every new software update must be certified by accredited laboratories and entered into the relevant NRA registers. Operators must keep detailed logs — including IP address, date, time and session duration — and store gaming data for the periods prescribed by law.

These rules are designed to protect players’ funds and ensure fair play: mandatory accounts in licensed EU/EEA/Swiss banks, separate accounting for gambling funds, and detailed reporting. Fairness is further supported by mandatory certification of gaming equipment and software in approved labs that the NRA lists in its registers. Anti‑money‑laundering and counter‑terrorist‑financing controls are built into licensing and reporting procedures and are complemented by safer gambling measures — prominent addiction risk warnings and checks against a non‑public register of vulnerable persons, which operators must consult before allowing someone to play.

Player rights are backed by active state supervision. The NRA carries out inspections, maintains public registers of licensed operators and domains, and can require internet providers to block illegal sites. Penalties for unlawful online gambling are severe: operating without a licence can lead to fines for legal entities from BGN 1,000,000 to 2,000,000, plus confiscation of equipment and proceeds. Although the Agency’s primary role is supervision and enforcement rather than resolving private disputes, its powers to investigate and sanction give it real leverage where there are indications of violations.

Limits and taxes

Only adults are allowed to gamble; access is legally restricted for minors and several other vulnerable groups. Bulgaria maintains a non‑public register of vulnerable persons, run by the NRA, which operators are required to check to ensure that anyone listed is excluded from gambling. Secondary legislation also adds further safeguards for responsible gambling: time limits on website use, loss limits after which a temporary block must be applied, and tighter restrictions for young adults. Publicly available sources do not specify exact thresholds, but the intent is clear — to keep risks under control before they escalate.

Tax treatment depends on the product. For online betting there is a one‑off licensing fee and a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue — the difference between all stakes taken and winnings paid out. Land‑based casino games are taxed quarterly per piece of equipment, using fixed amounts per slot machine position, roulette seat and other gaming devices. For online casinos, available materials indicate that the standard corporate income tax regime applies unless a specific alternative is introduced. Operators file electronic returns on set schedules and are liable for late or inaccurate reporting. Forms and e‑services for reporting and payments are available on the NRA portal.

How to check a Bulgarian gambling licence

The quickest basic check is on the casino’s website footer: licensed operators usually list their licence details there, together with the legal entity and the authority that issued the authorisation. Next, compare the domain with the public “white list” of websites through which licensed operators are allowed to offer gambling. This list is published by the National Revenue Agency and is updated with domains covered by valid Bulgarian licences; you can open it here: NRA white list of gambling websites.

For a more thorough check, use the NRA gambling registers kept under the Gambling Act: the register of organisers, the register of issued licences, the list of authorised laboratories and other regulatory decisions. The starting page for these registers is here: Gambling Act registers. Matching the company name and licence type in the organiser/licence registers with the domain in the “white list” gives you the most reliable confirmation that the site operates under a Bulgarian licence.

How to file a complaint against a Bulgarian‑licensed online casino

Always start with the operator. Describe the issue clearly and contact customer support using the official channels listed on the site. Keep copies of chats and emails, and take screenshots of your balance, transactions and any error messages. Many problems — from payout delays to identity verification (KYC) — are most quickly resolved at this level.

If the dispute remains unresolved and you believe there has been a breach of the rules, escalate the matter to the National Revenue Agency. The NRA is the competent licensing and supervisory authority and accepts reports of violations in the gambling sector. For general queries, use the NRA information centre: infocenter@nra.bg or +359 2 9859 6801 / 0700 18 700; contact page: NRA contacts. Formal submissions requiring an electronic signature are accepted at nap@nra.bg. If your report concerns access to, or the operation of, an unlicensed website or app, send the URL together with supporting evidence to illegal_gambling@nra.bg. Anonymous reports are not considered, and for fact‑checking purposes the NRA may share a limited amount of your personal data with the operator.

After escalation, you should expect more of a regulatory response than a private arbitration decision. The NRA’s main role is to monitor compliance, conduct investigations, require ISPs to block illegal sites and impose sanctions on violators. It does not advertise a separate “ombudsman” service for individual compensation claims, so view your complaint primarily as a trigger for supervision and enforcement. That said, operators are sensitive to regulatory attention, and a well‑documented complaint often helps bring about a practical resolution.

For responsible gambling tools, including self‑exclusion via the non‑public register of vulnerable persons, the NRA provides instructions and an email address for electronic applications on a dedicated page: Responsible gambling in Bulgaria. Licensed operators must check this register and deny access where required.