How to Get a Bulgaria iGaming Licence: 2026 Guide
To get a Bulgaria iGaming licence, you apply to the National Revenue Agency (NRA). You do so as a company registered in Bulgaria, another EU or EEA state, or Switzerland. Then you submit a documented file on ownership, capital, and technology for review. This guide explains how to get a Bulgaria iGaming licence at a planning level. It covers whether the jurisdiction fits you, which licence you can hold, what it costs, and where operators go wrong. For the exact filing sequence and validity rules, it points you to the detailed guides in the Bulgaria gaming licence cluster.
Key facts
- Regulator: National Revenue Agency (NRA), which took over gambling licensing in 2020
- Minimum share capital: BGN 1.5 million (about EUR 767,000) for online casino; BGN 50,000 for betting
- Local investment: at least BGN 1 million into local activity within 6 months of the licence
- NRA review: usually 60 to 90 days; the licence runs for 5 years
- Scope: authorises the Bulgarian market; other EU states license separately
How to get a Bulgaria iGaming licence, in brief
The route has four parts. First, you set up or confirm an eligible legal entity in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland. Then you evidence the share capital and open the banking the NRA expects to see. After that, you build the document file on owners, finances, and technology, and you file it with the state review fee for your chosen verticals. Finally, the NRA reviews the file and, once satisfied, issues the licence.
Bulgaria is an EU member state, so the licence sits inside the European regulatory framework. That matters for banking and payment providers, who treat EU-regulated operators differently from offshore ones. The National Revenue Agency runs the process end to end, and it reviews most complete files within 60 to 90 days.
Is Bulgaria the right licence for your operation
Bulgaria suits operators who want an EU base and can meet the capital bar. The share capital requirement is high, so the jurisdiction fits funded operators rather than early-stage startups testing a product. If your plan depends on a low entry cost, the numbers below will tell you quickly whether Bulgaria is a realistic route.
The licence authorises the Bulgarian market. It does not, on its own, open the rest of the EU, because each member state licenses gambling separately. So the right question is not whether you can get a Bulgaria iGaming licence. It is whether the Bulgarian market and an EU footprint match your commercial plan. When that answer depends on your funding, target markets, and corporate structure, book a consultation rather than deciding from a checklist.
Licence types the NRA issues
The Bulgarian Gambling Act sets out separate licences by activity. You pick the verticals before you file, because they drive the fee, the capital, and the technical certification. The main online categories are:
- Online casino: slots, table games, and live dealer
- Online betting: fixed-odds sports betting and live betting
- Online poker: tournaments and cash games
- Online bingo
The national lottery is a state monopoly and is not open to private operators. If you plan more than one vertical, confirm how the NRA stacks the fees and capital, because the requirements are set per activity. The full requirements and share-capital detail break this down by licence type.
Who qualifies to apply
To apply, you need a legal entity registered in Bulgaria, another EU or EEA state, or Switzerland. An offshore company cannot hold the licence. The NRA also checks that the company, its directors, and its ultimate beneficial owners are fit and proper, and that the capital has a clean, documented origin.
Owners and key people submit criminal-record clearances and evidence of funds. The NRA does not publish a single equity percentage that triggers full personal screening, so confirm the current ultimate-beneficial-owner threshold before you map your ownership chart. A clear structure moves faster than a layered one. Where the corporate setup is complex, plan the company incorporation before you file, not during review.
The path from decision to launch
The licence is one milestone in a longer setup. In practice, the sequence runs from company formation, to banking and capital, to the document file, and then to NRA review. The technical go-live comes last, before you take a single bet. Each stage has its own lead time, and they do not all run in parallel.
Two stages catch operators out. Bank onboarding for a gambling entity takes time under EU know-your-customer rules, and the technical connection to the NRA has to be live before launch. For the exact filing order and documents, follow the step-by-step application steps, and plan for realistic stage-by-stage durations before you commit to launch dates.
What a Bulgaria gambling licence costs to commit to
The state review fee is only part of the picture. The bigger commitment is the share capital and the mandatory local investment, so budget for the full stack before you start. The table below sets out the main cost items.
| Cost item | Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum share capital (casino) | BGN 1.5 million (about EUR 767,000) | Paid up; per the Gambling Act |
| Minimum share capital (betting) | BGN 50,000 | Lower bar for betting-only operators |
| Local investment | At least BGN 1 million | Into local activity within 6 months of the licence |
| State review fee | Set by the NRA tariff | Varies by vertical; confirm the current figure |
| Bank guarantee | Set case by case | Secures liabilities; confirm the amount with the NRA |
| Corporate setup and compliance | Variable | Incorporation, technical certification, AML setup, ongoing key functions |
Bulgaria applies a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue for betting, and the flat corporate income tax rate is 10%. Gaming duties can change, so confirm the current rates with the NRA before you model returns. Setting up gaming-friendly banking takes months, so start the iGaming bank account opening early.
How to get a Bulgaria iGaming licence: what most operators underestimate
The published fee and the review window are the easy parts. Four things routinely take longer or cost more than operators plan for. Get ahead of them and the file moves.
The first is the bank guarantee. It is mandatory, and the amount is set case by case rather than by a fixed public figure. So ask the NRA and your bank early what they will require. The second is the BGN 1 million local investment. You must deploy it within 6 months. So confirm which categories qualify and how you evidence them, because the NRA can review the licence if you miss the deadline.
The third is the local control server. Your platform has to mirror bets, wins, and session data to the NRA in real time, and that connection must work before you launch. The fourth is document shelf life. Foreign police records and bank statements can go stale, and they need apostilles and certified Bulgarian translations, so time their issue to your filing date. Ongoing obligations then continue for the life of the licence, which is where ongoing AML and compliance work earns its keep.
What a Bulgaria licence does not cover
A Bulgaria iGaming licence authorises gambling in the Bulgarian market. It does not grant access to other EU or EEA markets, because online gambling in the EU is regulated at national level. If you want to serve players in another member state, you need that country’s own licence.
The licence also does not cover verticals you did not apply for. If you hold a betting licence and later add casino, that is a separate application and a separate capital bar. When the current term ends, the NRA re-checks the file, so treat the licence renewal and validity rules as part of the plan, not an afterthought. To scope your file and manage it from incorporation to issue, contact DD Consultus through our gaming licence acquisition service.
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates gambling licences in Bulgaria?
The National Revenue Agency (NRA) regulates gambling in Bulgaria. It took over licensing from the former State Commission on Gambling in 2020. The NRA runs the application review, issues the licence, and monitors operators in real time through a technical link.
Can a foreign company get a Bulgaria iGaming licence?
Yes, if the company is registered in Bulgaria, another EU or EEA state, or Switzerland. An offshore company outside that group cannot hold the licence. The NRA also screens the owners and directors for fitness and the origin of the capital.
How much share capital do you need for a Bulgarian gambling licence?
Online casino operators need paid-up share capital of BGN 1.5 million, about EUR 767,000. Betting operators need BGN 50,000. On top of that, you must invest at least BGN 1 million into local activity within 6 months of receiving the licence.
How long does it take to get a Bulgaria iGaming licence?
The NRA usually reviews a complete file within 60 to 90 days. That window does not include company formation, bank onboarding, and technical certification, which run before you file or in parallel. A well-ordered file clears faster than one built out of sequence.
Does a Bulgaria licence let you operate across the EU?
No. A Bulgaria licence authorises the Bulgarian market only. Each EU and EEA state licenses gambling under its own national rules, so serving players elsewhere requires a separate licence in that country.
What taxes apply to a Bulgarian gaming operator?
Betting is taxed at 20% of gross gaming revenue, and the corporate income tax rate is a flat 10%. Gaming duties can change with the state budget, so confirm the current rates with the NRA before you model returns.
Is a bank guarantee required?
Yes. A bank guarantee is mandatory and secures your regulatory and tax liabilities. The amount is set on a case-by-case basis rather than a fixed public figure, so confirm the requirement with the NRA and your bank early.
How long is a Bulgaria gambling licence valid?
The licence runs for 5 years. At the end of the term, you file for renewal and the NRA re-checks ownership, capital, and compliance. Plan the renewal window ahead of expiry so operations continue without a gap.
Getting the route right
Bulgaria rewards operators who prepare the capital and the corporate structure before they file. The licence takes 60 to 90 days to review, runs for 5 years, and covers the Bulgarian market rather than the wider EU. Confirm the current state fee, the bank guarantee amount, and the reporting-link timing with the NRA before you commit dates. To plan your file and manage it end to end, book a consultation with DD Consultus.