The Bulgarian National Assembly adopted on a second reading the proposals of the leader of the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria for amendments to the Gambling Act which bans private lotteries in this country. The license of the private gambling operators will be revoked once the amendments are promulgated in the State Gazette, if the Bulgarian head of state does not veto them. Thus, the changes impose a government monopoly under which only the state owned Bulgarian Sports Totalizer would be able to legally organize lottery games. 

The amendments to the Gambling Act concern the private companies National Lottery and Lottery Bulgaria whose majority shareholder is businessman Vasil Bozhkov. Last week the Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office pressed charges in absentia against him for organizing a crime group, tax crimes, money laundering, blackmail, coercion, malfeasance, etc.