Cards in Bulgaria: Laws, Taxation and Best Places to Play

Visit Bulgaria for a gamble and you'll be relatively safe, as far as abiding by the law is concerned. Gambling has been legal in Bulgaria since the 1990s, although the regulation of online gambling didn't come in until the introduction of The Gambling Act of 2012 (Gambling Act), which meant that the activity had been illegal until that point. It means that if you enjoy playing poker, you can play to your hearts content in the poker rooms of the country's casinos. Bulgaria has 27 casinos and 876 gaming halls, with most of these being in the capital, Sofia, and in touristic spots such as Varna and Sunny Beach.

Gambling laws and taxation

What you might not realize is that running a casino is an expensive endeavor in Bulgaria because the casinos must pay a hefty 20% of the proceeds from the rake. Under previous tax laws, however, the taxation was even heftier, and casinos would have to increase the rake by a whopping 400% to make up for the taxation — which would have gamblers simply running for the hills.

That increase is just by 20% now, thanks to the change in laws which came about in 2014, and operating poker rooms, and casinos in general, is more profitable. The tax cuts have even persuaded some (online) casino operators to relocate to Bulgaria. These adjustments suit the Bulgarian government, too: in the first nine months of 2018, they collected 174.4 million Bulgarian Lev ($99, 994, 043.28), which is 30 million more than at the same point in 2017. The chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Producers and Organizers of the Gaming Industry (BTAPOI) stated that 28.5 million Lev came from online gaming operators.

The State Commission of Gambling Bulgaria is responsible for regulating gambling in the country, and this includes poker,...