Bulgaria has introduced a change to its national self-exclusion register for gambling. It extends to the minimum exclusion period for registered individuals to one year.
On March 27, the policy update was officially implemented. The country’s gambling regulator, the National Revenue Agency (NRA), also announced the change.
The revision marks a departure from the previous policy. This allowed individuals to self-exclude for as little as 30 days.
The Bulgarian gambling regulator targets to strengthen protections for individuals vulnerable to gambling-related harm through extending the minimum duration to one year.
This move aligns the regulatory framework of Bulgaria with certain other standards. It typically recommend longer exclusion periods to better support those struggling with gambling addiction.
NRA says that an estimate of 54,000 individuals have already signed up for the self-exclusion program. The register remains confidential and is not accessible to the public.
Ensuring the privacy of those who register, only a limited number of designated NRA employees have access to the database.
Ensuring the privacy of those who register, only a limited number of designate NRA employees have access to the database.
The push to educate youth and give early intervention is an important part of the strategy of the Bulgarian government to address addiction in all its forms.
According to figures recently release by the government, current estimates indicate that roughly 3% of population of Bulgaria is affected by some level of gambling addiction.
Effectively banning listed individuals from gambling, Bulgarian law requires all licensed operators to enforce the restrictions imposed by the self-exclusion register.
Participation in the self-exclusion register is voluntary. It is also free of charge. It’s open to any Bulgarian citizen who wishes to restrict their gambling behavior. This is regardless if it’s for financial, personal, or psychological reasons.
Nonetheless, operators should report anyone found trying to avoid the controls.
