Bulgarian Sports Totalisator handed lottery monopoly

The state-owned Bulgarian Sports Totalisator (BST) has been granted a monopoly over lottery products in the country, after a bill filed in January this year passed into law.

This amendment to the 2012 Gambling Act was put forward by Valeri Simenov, a member of the National Front for Salvation Party, in January, and was ratified by the Bulgarian parliament on 7 February, then published in the country’s Official Gazette this week.

This means that all private lottery operators will now have to pull their products from the market within three months, and must destroy all unsold lottery tickets and coupons by 31 December, 2020.

These operators must also ensure that all prizes owed to players are paid out, or provide bank guarantees to that effect, within 30 days.

They will, however, still be able to offer other draw-based games such as raffles, keno and bingo.

BST tickets will also only be available from licensed outlets, which must be at least 300 metres away from schools, as set out in the bill.