Bulgaria's newly established joint council held a press conference to discuss how the country will address the policies of the new government, including the issue of illegal gambling.
Rosen Zhelyazkov was appointed as the Prime Minister; former ministers and officials from the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) hold 11 seats, while the pro-Russian Socialist Party (BSP) and the populist organization "There Is Such a People" (ITN) each hold 4 seats.
At the press conference, BSP member Rumen Petkov criticized Europe for not having a single registry of illegal gambling websites that could serve as a regulatory body database.
Petkov believes that this will create a precondition for "the development of illegal online gambling across the continent."
He continued, "Firstly, this infringes on the health, finances, and welfare of entire generations and families. Secondly, it leads to uncontrolled flow of funds, which are then reinvested in political influence, drug production and trade, and human trafficking.
"This is a scourge of modern society, and the lack of commitment in Europe is frightening."
During the meeting, Petkov presented a recent report from the Bulgarian National Gambling Authority (NRA), which found that there are 5,174 illegal gambling websites in Bulgaria, while the country only has 25 licensed gambling sites.
It is important to understand that while some casinos are completely illegal in every jurisdiction, a casino might also be classified as illegal if it operates without the required license in a certain country/region, even though it is completely legal in other countries/regions.
In 2024 alone, the list of illegal gambling websites increased by 3,007 entries.
Last year, the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA) shut down more than 2,500 banks.
Petkov continued, "I am not sure if we realize to what extent illegal gambling dominates the online space compared to gambling that is regulated and constrained by the state.
"This indicates that after the state took measures to restrict advertising by licensed operators, we actually saw the number of illegal online gambling sites double."
Bulgaria is not the only country that protects young people by restricting gambling; the Netherlands has also introduced plans to raise the gambling age limit to 21 years old.
