Bulgaria blocks access to 150 gambling sites
The National Revenue Agency has carried out an enforcement campaign against unlicensed online gambling.
Bulgaria.- The National Revenue Agency (NRA) has reported that it has blocked access to over 150 gambling websites this month. The action was taken as part of an enforcement campaign against unlicensed activity.
The tax regulator, which took over gambling regulation in 2020, did not name the sites that have been blocked but said that the majority were not licensed in the European Union. It gave three days for access to the sites to be suspended and said that if they remained accessible the NRA would seek a High Court order to internet service providers (ISPs).
Last month, it was announced that the NRA will oversee a new unit that will enforce anti-money laundering measures among gambling operators in Bulgaria. The dedicated unit will monitor gambling operations, transactions and customers that are flagged as suspicious and will share information with international authorities. It will enforce requirements on customer verification, documentation and money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessments.
Meanwhile, the minister for youth and sports, Dimitar Iliev, announced the appointment of Georgi Tarlekov as executive director and management board chair of the state gambling operator, the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator. Tarlekov has replaced Angel Angelov, who had been appointed a year ago.
Iliev said that Tarlekov will remain in the position until a competition is held. Two other members of the board have been dismissed and replaced by Rada Gyonova and Petar Peychev. Tarlekov is a financier with master’s degrees in management and marketing, banking and finance. He was previously an adviser to Minister Iliev on financial issues.
