At the last working meeting with representatives of business and the Consumers' Association, we made a commitment between the first and second reading to introduce changes that would act as a prevention for granting fast loans to gambling addicts and to further regulate the sector, said Zdravko Markov, a PB MP and member of the budget committee in the National Assembly, in an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio.
He pointed out that the changes include increasing the capital upon registration, simplified regimes for loans up to 500 euros, not requiring a guarantee, which is an additional burden when taking out a loan.
"The package of measures is wide-ranging. The mechanism of the bill starts from the Ministry of Economy and aims to transpose a European directive, making additional amendments to protect consumers.
When the bill comes to our National Assembly, we will build on it to close every loophole through which they can "take the skin off the back" of Bulgarian citizens," said Markov.
And he pointed out that the first step in the reform in gambling is quick loans:
"We will not ban them, but we will strongly regulate them, with the main focus being the shady part – franchise model. The control is so low that this suggests huge abuses."
The MP from the PB explained that the regulation of the interest rate will be done by changing the APR formula:
"Now the interest is determined by the APR formula, which has been inactive for years - since 2014. The formula is inactive and we will develop a new mechanism by which citizens will have the opportunity to know how much their loan would cost, so as not to enter this vicious circle and fees that enslave them."
Regarding the PP-DB request to ban gambling advertising, he commented:
"The colleagues from the PP-DB have been in power for the past few years, but have not taken a position on the topic of quick loans. In 2024, they made a reform for gambling advertising, which turned out to be inactive. Currently, cities are painted in the colors of betting companies.
Part of the reform we are making with fast loans should act as a prevention for gambling. We will also limit the working hours of fast loans and they will not be able to withdraw money in the dark part of the day."
Zdravko Markov announced that for 2025 the money that has gone through gambling, not winnings, but generally rolled over, is 66 billion leva, which "is a mind-boggling amount":
"In gambling, we are preparing a comprehensive reform, not only advertising, which will be limited. The hypothesis is to ban billboards in populated areas and to have them removed outside populated areas, but again with restrictions. When you travel on the "Trakia" highway not to be illuminated by thousands of such billboards."
The MP from the Bulgarian National Party declared that they are ready for a constructive reform that would make it so that Bulgarians are not dependent on any one industry.
"We will raise taxes, both in land-based and online gambling, reform for advertising and a complete restriction of the business and the industry, and the situation must be analyzed, because it is much more comprehensive. Now the scope will be expanded to several more sectors, including gambling prevention,", he explained.
And he recalled that gambling helps sports, "but this should not happen without control, should not go beyond a single framework and sport should be entirely dependent on gambling".
In “Nedelya“ 150 Zdravko Markov commented that Budget 2026 was the biggest of all challenges for the government:
"We found an official deficit according to Eurostat of 6.8%. In the worst-case scenario, it will end the year with 5.7%. But with Budget 2027, the future policies of the PB will be expressed in three directions - strengthening the fiscal position, we will reduce the deficit 4 times faster than the EC recommendations. They recommend by 0.5%, we will reduce it by 2%.
I assume that with Budget 2028 we will be within the permissible 3 percent deficit. The second is social policy - tax breaks for mothers with 1, 2 and 3 children and vulnerable social groups. And the third is incentives for the economy, so that competitive business can develop in Bulgaria and local and foreign investors can be attracted."