Bulgarians required to self-exclude for a one year minimum under new rules

Gamblers in Bulgaria will now have to self-exclude for a minimum of one year instead of 30 days after a change in regulations.

This was announced on the website of the regulator, the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA), which confirmed that the new rules have been in place since 27 March.

The increase in minimum self-eclusion from 30 days to 365 is certainly a substantial one, and policymakers likely hope that it will have significant player protection impacts. However, the self-exclusion process is far from the most convenient options seen across Europe. 

Those who suspect they are suffering from a gambling disorder have two options through which to seek self-exclusion – either emailing the NRA with a written request, or go to an NRA office to physically submit this request into a kiosk.

In both instances, the request must include all personal information associated with the self-excluded customer, including an electronic signature. To cover one year, this signature could cost anywhere between £3 and £33, depending on the technology used. Players looking to self-exclude can pay more for a longer-lasting signature. 

After someone has been placed on the self-exclusion registry, all gambling operators are obliged to consult the list and decline entry to individuals on it. According to the NRA, there are currently 54,000 submitted self-exclusion requests. 

More on the mechanics and the intricacies of the Bulgarian self-exclusion registry can be heard in the NRA’s latest podcast episode, with guest Alexander Popov, Director of Gambling Activities. 

In the name of the customer

The news is part of a wider set of Bulgarian policy reforms that were kicked off early last year, when most major political groups participated in a rare showcase of unity and voted on a number of gambling amendments to include in the decade-old framework. 

As the reforms were being voted on, the majority of media attention was turned to the partial ban of gambling ads. However, self-exclusion was also put front-and-centre in the draft bill. 

In addition to the minimum one year self-exclusion time, some other notable amendments were also seen in the draft proposal such as the automatic addition of people receiving social support and those diagnosed with mental health conditions into the registry.

Under the new rules, operators found in breach of the self-exclusion rules will be fined BGN 5,000 (£2.1k) for first-time violations, BGN 20k for second violations, and face a licence revocation if a third breach occurs.

The black market was another key focus of the player protection-centric reforms. In an exclusive two-part interview with SBC News, NRA’s Director General Rumen Spetsov shed more light on the topic.