Bulgarian National Assembly votes for playing advert ban
Proposed revisions to the nation’s Playing Act would enforce a sweeping prohibition on most styles of playing adverts nationwide. This encompasses promotions across tv, print, online media, radio, and constructing exteriors.
Ought to it raze approval, selling may per chance per chance perchance perchance be restricted completely to billboards positioned interior 100 meters of a on line casino, sports activities facility, or gaming hall.
Within the initial reading, meeting deputies voted in desire of the proposal, with 186 out of 240 legislators supporting the legislation.
Criticism of the measure came from the finance minister, who cautioned against its capability affect on channelization.
Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova remarked:
The Ministry of Finance has performed an evaluation of playing selling methods in EU member states and former. Our findings sign that a full prohibition on playing adverts steadily ends in a surge in illicit playing activities. Basically, most countries have adopted a balanced method.
Critics labeled the selling ban as a populist maneuver. Legislators scheduled an unprecedented session for the invoice’s 2nd reading on April 30, one day sooner than the meeting adjourns for pre-election campaigning.
Some participants of parliament denounced the proposed legislation as a populist tactic geared in direction of garnering votes in the upcoming June elections.
The invoice used to be introduced to the National Assembly by deputies from the opposition parties GERB and DPS, Temenuzka Petkova and Yordan Tsonev.
ITN flesh presser Grozdan Karadzhov criticized the legislation for its perceived leniency in direction of playing operators, in step with native reports. As a replace, he advocated for stricter guidelines on gaming promotions, better taxes, and for slot machines to be linked to the country’s playing regulatory physique, the NRA.
Moreover, the legislation contains provisions aimed at combatting the unlicensed playing market.
Below the recent guidelines, web sites cyber web hosting illegal playing activities would face fines starting from BGN50,000 (€25,600) to BGN200,000.
Companies facilitating payments linked to unlicensed playing would additionally be topic to penalties.
