Bulgaria’s self-exclusion register for people suffering from gambling-related harm or who have been gambling excessively and want to rein in their spending has undergone a new change that will now see individuals who wish to opt into the program excluded for a minimum of one year.
New Minimum Period of Self-Exclusion set to a Year
The change was implemented on March 27, 2025, as confirmed by the National Revenue Agency, which took over the industry’s regulation on March 21, 2021. The self-exclusion period has been increased from 30 days to one year as per the latest change, with the country trying to follow the best practices elsewhere and shield its most vulnerable players from related harm.
The register has already seen some 54,000 people submit applications in an attempt to cut their excessive gambling spending, according to information published by the watchdog this month. The register is not public, but licensed operators must ensure that they do not breach their license obligations by letting people on the list play.
The register is also free to all citizens who wish to restrict their gambling habits or feel that they have been spending too much. Moving forward, the register will now allow players to restrict their gambling for a minimum of one year or more.
There has been some backtracking, however, with a new law reducing the time you would need to get off the list – usually a two-year period of consideration to just 30 days. The change was enacted in 2024 and piggybacked on a broader law that was backed in Parliament and directly prohibited gambling advertising across all types of media formats.
Bulgaria’s Self-Exclusion Register Continues to Hit the Mark
The Bulgarian self-exclusion register for problem gamblers has been hailed as a success, leading to a huge number of people enrolled who previously did not have the option to do so. The measure is heavily belated, as 3% of Bulgaria’s population is estimated to have some form of gambling addiction.
Lack of regulatory intervention under the previous regulator, paired with vested economic interests, has made it hard to push through the necessary reforms. However, under the National Revenue Agency’s stewardship, responsible gambling at least seems to be heading in the right direction.