54,000 people now on Bulgaria's self-exclusion list

• Bulgaria’s gambling watchdog has reported 54,000 self-excluded problem gamblers
• NAP has recently changed the minimum self-exclusion period
• The actual number of problem gamblers in Bulgaria remains speculative

The National Revenue Service, or NAP for its Bulgarian acronym, has announced that a total of 54,000 people have rolled in on the gambling regulator’s self-exclusion program. The self-exclusion registry has been under the stewardship of the agency, following the dissolution of the previous gambling regulator in 2020.

54,000 Bulgarians seek help for their gambling by excluding themselves

The rate of gambling addiction in Bulgaria is still subject to some speculation, with one study estimating that 3% of the population experiences some form of gambling-related harm, although this number is hard to verify.

Bulgaria’s self-exclusion rate suggests that only 0.8% of the country’s 6.5m population has sought to register to limit its use of gambling, which is still a large number all the same, and could suppose larger numbers of people who are unaware or unwilling to use the service.

A national statistic about the potential number of people impacted by gambling-related harm is not readily available. However, it’s not all bleak when it comes to responsible gambling in Bulgaria.

A recent change to the registry’s operations enacted on March 27, 2025, now says that a person may not self-exclude for a period shorter than one full year, up from the previous minimum of 30 days, which was deemed inefficient.

In fact, several sweeping regulatory rules and legal changes have made gambling safer since 2022, although some critics have doubted the sincerity of lawmakers in certain cases. A law was voted in April 2024, affecting all media – TV, radio, print, and the Internet- in what was seen as a major milestone and win for problem gambling advocates.

Win some, lose some – lawmakers banned ads but made it easier to de-register

However, in the same stride, lawmakers decided to reduce the cool-down period for people who wish to take themselves off self-exclusion registers to 30 days, down from two years. Previously, a person who wished to start gambling again would have needed to wait for two years to be allowed back in, and now the process can be completed in 30 days.

Consumers have cautioned that 30 days is an inadequate time for someone who is struggling with a lifelong addiction to think their decisions carefully through and build the habits necessary to steer clear from gambling. In contrast, two years allowed time for reflection and treatment.

In the meantime, NAP has made it easy for people to enroll themselves in the register by sending an email to the agency. People who apply for self-exclusion can choose the period of exclusion, but this period may not be shorter than one year moving forward.

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