Online Casino Bulgaria: NRA-Licensed Sites, the Law and How to Stay Safe (2026)

Short answer: online casino Bulgaria rules are clear: gambling is regulated, and casino games and sports betting online are allowed only at operators licensed by the National Revenue Agency (NRA, Bulgarian НАП), which took over from the State Commission on Gambling in 2020. The NRA register of 12.10.2026 lists 31 companies with online licences. Its blacklist holds 9,469 entries for unlicensed sites, including look-alikes of licensed brands. Playing at an unlicensed site is an offence with a fine of 500 to 2,000 leva (about €256 to €1,023), and payment institutions may not process payments to those sites. The minimum age is 18.

This is a safety and verification guide, not a ranking. Since May 2024 Bulgarian law bans gambling advertising on internet pages, so you will find no bonuses, no scores and no links to operators here. What you will find: how the law works, how to check a licence on the NRA register step by step, a factual register table, how to spot phishing copies of real sites, self-exclusion, the euro switch, tax and a short note on land casinos in Sofia, Varna, Bansko and Sunny Beach. For the rest of the region, start at the Balkan Gambling home page.

Is gambling legal in Bulgaria? The 2026 position at a glance

Gambling in Bulgaria is regulated: online casino and sports betting are allowed only at operators licensed by the NRA. Unlike North Macedonia or Slovenia, Bulgaria runs an open licensing system for online casino and betting rather than a state monopoly. Here is the short version, each point explained below.

The Gambling Act and the 2020 move to the NRA

Bulgarian gambling rests on the Gambling Act published in State Gazette No. 26 of 2012. Parliament has amended it more than twenty times since then. The list of amending issues printed in the Ministry of Finance’s draft bill of 23.09.2026 ends with issues 55 and 69 of 2026.

The biggest structural change came in 2020. The State Commission on Gambling (ДКХ), which had licensed and supervised the market, was abolished by the amendment in State Gazette No. 69 of 04.08.2020. Its powers moved to the National Revenue Agency. The NRA’s own gambling page states that state supervision is now carried out by the agency’s executive director or an authorised deputy, and the Ministry of Finance describes the same transfer of control from the former commission. In practice the NRA now issues licences, keeps the registers, inspects operators and decides which unlicensed sites get blocked. The Ministry of Finance drafts amendments and approves forms. The old domain nap.bg now redirects to nra.bg.

Two features set Bulgaria apart from its Balkan neighbours. First, private companies can hold online licences for casino games and sports betting, and many do. Second, the NRA publishes its registers and its blacklist as downloadable files, so anyone can check a site in a few minutes. That second point is the reason this guide exists.

The NRA information centre answers general questions on 0700 18 700 and at [email protected].

The 2024 advertising ban and why this page shows no offers

An amendment adopted by the 49th National Assembly on 30.04.2024 and published in State Gazette No. 42 of 14.05.2024 rewrote Article 10 of the Gambling Act. Its first paragraph bans gambling advertising:

• on radio and television, except broadcasts of draws of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator;
• in public places, including building facades;
• in printed works and electronic media, including internet pages (item 3);
• on state and municipal property, except licensed venues;
• on outdoor advertising sites beyond 5% of a provider’s area.

Some formats stay allowed, such as billboards at least 300 metres from schools and playgrounds, venue signs within size limits and sport sponsorship. Even then the content is limited to game names, the registered trademark, draw results and prizes, and Article 10(6) adds that such advertising may not contain figures. Every permitted ad must carry the warning “Хазартът носи риск от развиване на зависимост” (gambling carries a risk of addiction) on at least 10% of its area. Article 10(7) also requires anyone who publishes such information to check the NRA register first, to confirm the operator holds a licence.

That is why this guide names operators only as register facts. You will not see bonus amounts, “best” lists, star ratings or links to operator sites here, and no operator pays us to appear on this page. If a site, social profile or message offers you a Bulgarian casino bonus with numbers in it, treat that as a warning sign rather than a deal.

Not yet law: the Ministry of Finance put a wider bill out for public consultation (No. 12738, from 23.09.2026 to 23.10.2026). The draft would ban advertising of gambling, operators and their trademarks in any format, with narrow exceptions, and would change taxes and fines. As of 15 October 2026 it has not been adopted. We will update this page once the outcome is known.

How to check a licence on the NRA register, step by step

The single most useful habit for anyone looking for a Bulgarian online casino is to check the exact web address against the NRA’s own files before entering any personal or card details. It takes about five minutes.

1. Open the NRA site by typing nra.bg yourself. Do not follow a link from an ad, a message or a search result that is not nra.bg.
2. Go to the gambling registers. On the NRA page for registers under the Gambling Act, download the “Регистър на организаторите на хазартни игри” (register of gambling organisers). It is an Excel file; the version we used was published on 12.10.2026.
3. Search for the domain and the company. Use your spreadsheet’s search for the site address (for example winbet.bg) and note the company in the same row.
4. Check the licence type. An online casino needs a licence for “Игри в игрално казино” organised online. Sports betting is a separate licence, and so is betting on random events. A site that holds only a betting licence may not offer online casino games.
5. Check the dates. Each row carries a certificate number, a certificate date and a “valid to” date. A licence that has expired or been terminated early no longer covers the site.
6. Cross-check the blacklist. On the same NRA section, open the lists of internet sites and download the blacklist file. If the address appears there, the site is unlicensed and subject to blocking.
7. Compare the site footer. A licensed operator names its company and licence on its own site. If the footer company does not match the register row, or there is no footer at all, stop.

Two practical notes. The NRA also publishes a “whitelist” PDF of licensed sites on its online gambling page (version of 11.09.2026), but the organisers register is newer, so use the register when the two differ. We found small differences: the register lists inbet.bg and bet365.bg, while the whitelist shows inbet.com and bet365.com, and Vbet, licensed on 13.05.2026, is not yet on the whitelist. The interactive register at reg.nra.bg may show a security check instead of results; the downloadable file is the reliable route.

Licensed online operators in Bulgaria: the register table

The table lists the best-known online licensees, in no particular order, with the details exactly as the NRA register of 12.10.2026 shows them. Domains are given as plain text so you can type them yourself. This is not a recommendation; a licence tells you the operator is supervised, not that its terms suit you.

Other online licensees on the same register include Betvam (betvam.bg), Bigbet (bigbet.bg), Vbet (vbet.bg), igra.bg (bingo), Topwin (topwin.bg), Everbet (everbet.bg), Mr Bit (mrbit.bg), Imperiabet, Bethub, Magicbet, Qbet, Slybet, Slotino, Elitbet, 7777.bg, Betwild (betwild.com) and Webbet. Check each one’s dates in the register file before relying on them.

A few register details worth knowing. Efbet’s licence holder, Brobet Limited, is listed with the old name Eurofootball Limited, so the old Еврофутбол brand does not equal a current licence. Admiralbet in Bulgaria is a separate Bulgarian company, not the Admiral businesses in Croatia or Serbia. Palms Bet online and the Palms Royale casino in Sofia belong to different companies. PokerStars is licensed only on its .bg site; pokerstars.com is on the blacklist. Betano (Kaizen Gaming International Ltd) currently holds Bulgarian licences, but all of them run out between 11 and 15 December 2026 and no renewal shows on the register yet, so check the file before you rely on it.

Each brand in the table also has a page in Bulgarian in our Bulgarian section: Winbet, Efbet, Inbet, 8888.bg, Palms Bet and Sesame, with the same register facts and no links to the operators.

Brands that are not licensed in Bulgaria

Several names Bulgarian players search for do not appear on either NRA file as licensed. Superbet’s Bulgarian company was licensed on 13.12.2024, but all three of its licences were terminated early on 16.01.2026. Pinnacle, Betway, Sportingbet and Fortuna are not licensed, and pinnacle.com, betway.com, sportingbet.com and playfortuna.com sit on the blacklist. Stake and 1xBet are not licensed either. The National Lottery (Lucky Bet) and Eurofootball are not on the register at all. If you hold an account with any of these, the Bulgarian protections described on this page do not apply to it.

The NRA blacklist: 9,469 entries and the phishing problem

Alongside the register, the NRA publishes a blacklist of internet sites through which gambling is organised without a Bulgarian licence. The file of 17.09.2026 has 9,469 entries covering 9,308 unique web addresses. The oldest is a decision of 11.06.2013 against bet365.net; the newest is dated 17.09.2026. Each row shows the decision number, the web address, the unlicensed company, its licensing country and, for older entries, the court order.

Under Article 9(12) of the Gambling Act, internet providers must not give access to listed sites. Until mid-2026 each block also needed an order from the Sofia District Court. According to a summary of the 2026 amendment published by kik-info.com, providers must block sites within 24 hours of the NRA decision being published from 01.08.2026, without the court step; the blacklist entries after that date carry no court order, which fits that summary.

Look-alike domains that copy licensed brands

The blacklist is not only about offshore brands. It also contains copies of real Bulgarian brands that use a similar address to catch people who search for a login page. Examples on the list include:

• efbet-bg.com and efbet.casino (the licensed site is efbet.com);
• palms-bet.bg, palms-bet-bg.com and palmsbetbg.com (the licensed site is palmsbet.com);
• alphawin-bg.com and alphawinbg.com (the licensed site is alphawin.bg);
• inbetbg.net and casinoinbetbg.com (the licensed site is inbet.bg);
• bet365-bg.com and bet365.net (the licensed site is bet365.bg).

A copycat page can look identical to the real one. If you type your login, card or ID details into it, they go to whoever runs it.

Not every similar address is on the blacklist. winbet-bg.com is not, but it is not the licensed online site either: winbet.bg is the one on the register, and you can’t play or log in at winbet-bg.com.

Safe login habits

• Type the official domain from the register yourself, or use a bookmark you made from it.
• Never log in from an ad, a social media post, an email or a chat message, even if it shows a familiar logo.
• Read the address bar before typing a password: a hyphen, an extra “bg” or a different ending (.com instead of .bg) is enough to make it a different site.
• Check the padlock and the company name in the footer, then compare it with the register row.
• If you entered details on a suspicious copy, change your password on the real site and contact your bank about any card details you typed.

Player fines for playing at unlicensed sites

Bulgaria is one of the countries where the player, not only the operator, breaks the law by using an unlicensed site. Article 9(14), added by the 2024 amendment, states that natural persons are prohibited from taking part in gambling organised by persons without a licence under the Gambling Act. Article 97a(2) sets the fine at 500 to 2,000 leva. Converted at the fixed euro rate of 1.95583, that is about €256 to €1,023 (our arithmetic). We found no published case of a player being fined, but the rule is in force, and “everyone does it” is no defence.

The pending Ministry of Finance draft would change this fine to €300 to €1,100. That is a proposal only, and the current range still applies.

The fine is only part of the risk. An unlicensed site does not check the NRA self-exclusion register, has no Bulgarian supervisor to complain to, and can disappear from Bulgarian connections when the NRA lists it. Money held in an account there may be hard to recover.

Banks blocking payments to unlicensed sites

Article 9(13) of the Gambling Act states: payment institutions are prohibited from making payments intended for online gambling to and from persons who do not hold a valid licence under the Act. A payment institution that breaks the rule faces a fine of 50,000 to 200,000 leva (about €25,565 to €102,258) under Article 97a(1). The provision came in with the 2024 amendment and was changed again from 01.08.2026.

For players this means a card payment or bank transfer to an unlicensed casino may be refused, and a withdrawal from one may not arrive. How actively each Bulgarian bank enforces the rule is not published, so do not read a payment that goes through as a sign the site is licensed. For general guidance on payment methods in the region, see our casino payment methods guide.

Age limits, barred groups and limits for players under 24

Only adults with full legal capacity may gamble in Bulgaria, which means 18 and over. Online players must register individually, and the NRA names Ordinance No. 1 of 27.02.2013 as the rule on player identification, so expect a licensed site to ask for your ЕГН (personal number) or, for foreign residents, your ЛНЧ. Article 9(16) also bans postal money transfers from people under 18 to gambling operators.

Since 1 January 2025, Article 10e bars three groups from gambling altogether:

• people receiving monthly social assistance under Article 12(1) item 1 of the Social Assistance Act;
• people on the register of mental disorders under Article 147a of the Health Act;
• people under full guardianship.

The same 2024 amendment added Article 10ж on online player protection, also from 1 January 2025. It requires operators to limit risky play and provides for a regulation from the Ministers of Finance and Health that sets a maximum session time, a loss limit after which the player is temporarily entered in the vulnerable-persons register, stake caps by game and time of day, and lower limits for players under 24. We could not confirm whether that regulation has been adopted or what its figures are, so we do not quote any. If you are under 24, expect licensed sites to apply stricter limits than to older players.

Self-exclusion and help: the NRA register and the Solidarnost helpline

Bulgaria has a national self-exclusion list, the “Регистър на хазартно уязвимите лица” (register of gambling-vulnerable persons), kept by the NRA under Article 10г. It is not public. Every licensed operator must check it and refuse anyone listed, both online and in venues. That protection covers licensed operators only, which is another practical reason to stay on the register’s sites.

How to apply

1. Get the form “Искане за вписване в регистъра” (request for entry in the register) from the NRA.
2. Submit it in person at an NRA office, or email it to [email protected] signed with a qualified electronic signature (КЕП).
3. The register records you by ЕГН or ЛНЧ, so licensed operators will match you at sign-up and login.
4. Removal or changes are made in person or through a legal representative.

The minimum period of exclusion changed in 2025 and we could not confirm the current figure on a primary source, so ask the NRA when you apply. Reportedly almost 54,000 people had applied by March 2025.

Where to get help

The National Drugs, Alcohol and Gambling Helpline, run by the Solidarnost association, answers on 0888 99 18 66 on working days during the daytime. It is anonymous and also offers chat and a contact form. Family members can call too. For self-exclusion tools in the other countries we cover, see our responsible gambling guide with helplines for every country.

Bulgaria and the euro since 1 January 2026

Bulgaria adopted the euro on 1 January 2026 at the fixed rate of 1.95583 leva to the euro, set by the EU Council in July 2025. Leva and euro circulated together until 31.01.2026. The Bulgarian National Bank exchanges leva free of charge, without limit and with no deadline, and commercial banks must exchange them until 31.12.2026.

For players this has three effects. Licensed sites now run their cashiers in euro; 8888.bg, for example, shows euro amounts on its deposit page. Fees and fines that the Gambling Act still states in leva apply converted at the fixed rate, which is why we give both figures above. And any old leva amount you see quoted for limits or deposits is history, not a current figure. We have not found NRA guidance on how operators converted player balances, so if a balance looks wrong, raise it with the operator first and keep screenshots.

Payment methods differ by operator. The deposit page of 8888.bg lists bank transfer, cards, ePay, EasyPay and several Bulgarian options, and Palms Bet’s help pages mention ePay and EasyPay. Payment pages of other licensees did not load for us, so check each operator’s own cashier and terms before you deposit. Whatever the method, it should be in your own name.

Tax on gambling winnings in Bulgaria

This is the point where we are most careful, because we have only a secondary source. According to Article 13(1) item 20 of the Personal Income Tax Act (ЗДДФЛ), as reproduced in the consolidated text on kik-info.com, winnings from gambling organised with a licence under the Bulgarian Gambling Act, or under the law of another EU or EEA state, are not subject to Bulgarian income tax and need not be declared. NRA opinions from 2011 to 2016, reproduced on the same site, say the same.

We have not confirmed how winnings from sites outside the EU or EEA are treated; they may count as other income that you must declare yourself. The operator side is different: licensed online operators pay a tax on their gross gaming revenue. If a large sum is involved, ask the NRA information centre or a tax adviser rather than relying on any website, including this one.

Land casinos in Bulgaria: Sofia, Varna, Bansko and Sunny Beach

The NRA register of 12.10.2026 shows 18 companies holding land casino licences for 22 venues. Slot halls run by brands such as Winbet, Inbet, Efbet and Sesame hold a separate licence type and are far more common.

Entry is for adults only, so bring photo ID. Venues must also refuse anyone on the self-exclusion register or in a barred group. Opening hours and entry rules change, so check the venue’s own channels before you travel.

Betting in Bulgaria: the same register, separate licences

Most Bulgarian online licensees offer sports betting as well as casino games, but the register treats them as separate licences. PokerStars, for instance, holds only a casino licence, and Toto holds online sports betting and TOTO-2. Before you place a bet, check that the operator’s row includes “sports” betting, and if you also want betting on random events, look for that licence too. Our guide to betting sites and bookmakers in the Balkans covers how licensed bookmakers work across the region, and our online casino guide explains what to check at any casino site.

How Bulgaria compares with its neighbours

Bulgaria is the only market in our coverage where the regulator publishes both its licence register and a large blacklist as downloadable files. Croatia also publishes a public blocklist, while North Macedonia runs a state monopoly online. If you live near a border or travel often, the rules change as soon as you cross it:

• Gambling in North Macedonia: state online monopoly from the 2026 law, player fines and a domain blocklist.
• Online casinos and betting in Serbia: licensed operators on the regulator’s list and payment rules.
• Casino Croatia: 12 licensed online operators and a public blocklist.
• Gambling in Slovenia: the licensed online concession and land casinos.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania: separate regimes with their own rules.

How we checked this page

We downloaded the NRA register of gambling organisers (published 12.10.2026), the register of licences issued, refused and revoked (12.10.2026), the NRA blacklist file (17.09.2026) and the whitelist PDF (11.09.2026), and parsed them on 15 October 2026. Every licence number, company name, domain and date in the table comes from the register; the blacklist counts and look-alike domains come from the blacklist file. We read Articles 9(12)-(14), 9(16), 10, 10e, 10ж and 97a in the text published in State Gazette No. 42 of 14.05.2024, the NRA pages on gambling supervision and the self-exclusion register, the Ministry of Finance draft and consultation No. 12738, the ECB and Bulgarian National Bank pages on the euro changeover, and the Solidarnost helpline’s own site. Where we relied on a consolidated law text or press summary rather than the gazette itself (the tax exemption, the 24-hour blocking rule), we say so in the text. Fact-checked by Maja Horvat and reviewed by Stefan Nikolić. Spot an error? Write to [email protected].

Online casino Bulgaria: frequently asked questions

Is gambling legal in Bulgaria?

Only through licensed operators: gambling in Bulgaria is regulated, and it licenses online casino and sports betting under the Gambling Act, and the National Revenue Agency (NRA) supervises the market. Its register of 12.10.2026 lists 31 companies with online licences. Playing at a site without a Bulgarian licence is an offence for the player, with a fine of 500 to 2,000 leva (about €256 to €1,023). The minimum age is 18.

How do I check if an online casino is licensed in Bulgaria?

Type nra.bg yourself, open the registers under the Gambling Act and download the register of gambling organisers. Search the file for the exact domain, check that the row includes an online casino licence and that the valid-to date has not passed. Then check the NRA blacklist file. If the domain is missing from the register or appears on the blacklist, it is not licensed.

Can players be fined for using unlicensed gambling sites in Bulgaria?

Yes. Article 9(14) of the Gambling Act bans natural persons from taking part in gambling organised without a Bulgarian licence, and Article 97a(2) sets a fine of 500 to 2,000 leva, about €256 to €1,023 at the fixed euro rate. We found no published case of a fined player, but the rule is in force. A draft bill would change the range, and it is not law yet.

What is the NRA blacklist?

It is a downloadable file of web addresses through which gambling is offered in Bulgaria without a licence. The version of 17.09.2026 holds 9,469 entries, from a 2013 decision against bet365.net to decisions in September 2026. Internet providers must block listed sites. It also includes look-alike copies of licensed brands, such as efbet-bg.com, palms-bet.bg and alphawin-bg.com.

How do I self-exclude from gambling in Bulgaria?

Apply to be entered in the NRA register of gambling-vulnerable persons. Submit the request form in person at an NRA office, or email it to [email protected] signed with a qualified electronic signature. Every licensed operator must then refuse you, online and in venues. Unlicensed sites do not check the register. For support, call the Solidarnost helpline on 0888 99 18 66 on working days.

Are gambling winnings taxed in Bulgaria?

According to the Personal Income Tax Act as reproduced in a consolidated text on kik-info.com, winnings from games licensed in Bulgaria or in another EU or EEA state are not subject to Bulgarian income tax and need not be declared. We could not confirm the treatment of winnings from sites outside the EU or EEA. For large sums, ask the NRA information centre or a tax adviser.

Why does this page not list casino bonuses for Bulgaria?

Since the amendment in State Gazette No. 42 of 14.05.2024, Article 10 of the Gambling Act bans gambling advertising on internet pages, and permitted advertising may not contain figures. We therefore describe licensed operators only as facts from the NRA register, without bonus amounts, rankings or links. Treat any Bulgarian casino offer with numbers that reaches you through ads or messages with caution.