Online poker giant PokerStars and exchange betting specialists Betfair are officially seeking to participate in Bulgaria’s regulated online gambling market. The two companies, along with Eurofootball Bulgaria, are among a reported flood of operators that have expressed renewed interest in Bulgaria ever since legislators voted in December to change the country’s online gambling tax regime from 15% of turnover to 20% of gross gaming revenue. The companies’ applications are currently being vetted by the State Commission on Gambling, meaning Malta-licensed EuroFootball (efbet.com) may finally have company on the extremely short list of operators currently approved to accept online wagers.
It was only six months ago that PokerStars had its domains added to Bulgaria’s infamous blacklist of unapproved operators. Bulgaria tweaked its blacklist yet again last week, adding four domains belonging to Gibraltar-licensed 32Red and a lone site from Italian sports betting operator BetFlag. Bulgaria was also in a giving mood, removing French poker site Winamax on the grounds that the operator had “discontinued its offense” by withdrawing its services from Bulgaria’s digital realm.
Bulgaria is also prepping for a dramatic expansion of its online gambling industry by accrediting UK player protection agency eCOGRA as an official tester of software and information systems by would-be Bulgarian applicants. Tex Rees, director of the London-based eCOGRA, said the firm decided to seek Bulgarian approval after some of the 200 or so gambling sites currently monitored by eCOGRA expressed renewed interest in Bulgaria’s new tax-friendly market.
While it awaits respectable applicants, Bulgaria continues to crack the whip on those it deems pond scum. Last week saw the State Agency National Security (SANS) announce it had shut down an illegal online gambling operation run out of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Focus News Agency reported that the operation was run by members of the casino at the Grand Hotel Dimyat and drew its clientele primarily from Turkey and Israel.
