Is online gambling legal in Bulgaria?

Winnings from operators licensed in Bulgaria or another EU/EEA member state are tax-free, but winnings from unlicensed offshore operators are considered taxable income at a 10% rate. You can use the Register of Vulnerable Persons to self-exclude.

Play only on sites licensed in Bulgaria; those have to follow its player-protection rules.

Online sports betting is legal on sites licensed in Bulgaria. Online casino is legal on sites licensed in Bulgaria. Online poker is legal on sites licensed in Bulgaria. The lottery is available only from the state-run operator, BST.

Using a VPN to reach gambling sites from Bulgaria: Legal.

Gambling with crypto: Allowed.

You must be 18 to gamble online in Bulgaria, for online casino, sports betting and lottery alike.

Winnings for players from operators licensed in Bulgaria or another EU/EEA member state are tax-free. Winnings from unlicensed, offshore operators are considered taxable income at a 10% rate.

The regulator's register lists 32 online licence holders in Bulgaria (read 4 Nov 2026).

Always verify a casino holds a valid National Revenue Agency (NRA / НАП) licence before depositing. Check the official register before signing up.

The official register of licensed sitesNational Revenue Agency (NRA / НАП)'s website

Prominent operators in Bulgaria

If a site isn't on the regulator's licensee register, ask the regulator before you play: an unlisted site is usually not licensed here (a register can lag behind a new licence). An unlicensed site is outside the regulator's supervision, so you cannot complain to the regulator about it.

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  Verify the Licence in the NRA's Public Register

  Before playing, always check that the operator's name and website URL are listed in the official public register of licensed online gambling sites on the NRA's website.

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  Look for the NRA Logo and Licence Information

  Licensed operators are required to display their license information clearly on their website. Look for the NRA logo and a license number in the footer of every page.

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  Check for Responsible Gambling Tools

  Legitimate, licensed sites must provide access to responsible gambling tools, including information about and access to the national self-exclusion register (Register of Vulnerable Persons).

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  Confirm Bulgarian Language and Support

  A genuinely licensed Bulgarian operator will have a fully translated Bulgarian-language website and offer customer support in Bulgarian. The absence of these is a major red flag.

What you can expect from a licensed site's offers in Bulgaria. The rules operators must follow are on the operator page.

Official changes that affect players, newest first, each with the document it comes from. We have no research report for Bulgaria yet: each change is recorded from the official text it was checked against, and the rest of this page has not been rewritten for it.

Our daily watch reads the official publishers we follow for Bulgaria. A change is listed once it has been checked against the official document, by a person or, where marked, by our automated check. Dates are the official dates, not the day we found the change.

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1. 1

   1. Complain to the Operator

   The first step is to contact the licensed operator's customer support directly to try and resolve the issue. Operators are required by their license to have a reliable complaint handling system.

2. 2

   2. File a Complaint with the NRA

   If the operator fails to resolve the dispute satisfactorily, the player can escalate the complaint to the National Revenue Agency. The NRA is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing licensed operators.

3. 3

   3. Legal Action

   If regulatory channels do not resolve the issue, the final recourse is to pursue legal action through the Bulgarian court system.

• Myth

  All my gambling winnings are completely tax-free.
  Reality

  This is only true for winnings from operators licensed in Bulgaria or another EU/EEA member state. Winnings from unlicensed, offshore websites are considered taxable income and should be declared.

• Myth

  Using a VPN to play on blocked sites is perfectly safe.
  Reality

  While using a VPN itself is legal, playing on unlicensed sites carries significant risks. These sites offer no player protection, may not pay out winnings, and are not subject to Bulgarian law. The NRA is highly active in blocking these sites for consumer protection.

• Myth

  The legal gambling age is about to become 21.
  Reality

  As of mid-2026, the legal gambling age is still 18. A bill to raise it to 21 was introduced in February 2026 but is facing strong industry opposition and has not been passed into law.