The Minister of Finance Temenuzhka Petkova has announced changes to the Criminal Procedure Code and the criminalization of helping minors participate in online betting, reports the Bulgarian National Radio.
Deputies have raised the alarm that there are reports that devices used to accept payments are in the hands of minors and underage persons and are loaded into profiles on online betting sites.
These devices, such as cash terminals, require entering a username and password when depositing money into the relevant account. However, they do not require verification that the person depositing these funds is over 18 years of age.
During the parliamentary control, the Minister of Finance explained that after verification it was established that the data was knowingly provided to minors.
"Countering such behavior would be possible through legislative changes aimed at criminalizing the provision of data that provide the opportunity to participate in online gambling games to minors and underage subjects," said Petkova.
She was categorical that serious measures are needed.
"Here we are witnessing a completely different type of acts by certain individuals who voluntarily provide their data to minors - a password, an account, so that they can make this type of bets, which is a very serious problem and we believe that only the criminalization of such behavior and such an act can to provide an opportunity to resolve this issue", concluded Petkova.