Bulgaria

Interview with Jan Rehola, Independent Law Consultant & Former Director of Czech Gambling Regulator

Published

9 years ago

October 30, 2015

Jan Řehola graduated from the law faculty of Charles University in Prague with a thesis on the legal aspects of online gambling within the EEA. In his professional career Jan’s main point of interest is gambling law, e-commerce and compliance. He was director of Czech gambling regulator within the Czech Ministry of Finance and a member of the European Commission Expert Group on online gambling. Since 2014, Jan has provided professional legal and consulting services primarily in the field of gambling.

Jan will hold a presentation with the following title: “REGULATORY UPDATE for Czech Republic: Gambling law amendments in Czech Republic – overview of the current situation in these markets?” at the 8th edition Eastern European Gaming Summit, which will be held between 23-24 November, 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

EEG: There is no doubt that the gaming or gambling industry is worth tens of billions of crowns in the Czech Republic. New moves from the government seek to curb it and put it under better control. But many gambling companies say stricter regulations will just speed up the movement of most of the business online. Do you think that new regulations will improve the framework on which the Czech Republic’s online gambling currently operates?

Jan: In the Czech Republic, as elsewhere in Europe, we can see grow of the interest in online games and I believe that Czech market could be for online operators very interesting. According to official figures Czech online gambling market steadily grow by 11,4 % in 2014. It is not surprising that the biggest increase of bets is found in online sport betting.

The Czech gambling act, which is from 1990, does not reflect to this new trend and the Czech Republic necessarily needs new clear rules for online gambling, new secondary technical regulation, monitoring system and finally also new taxation system. Moreover we cannot forget, that actual Czech law infringes the principles of European law and due to this fact the Czech Republic is subject of infringement procedure.

Czech Republic officials are aware of this fact so actually preparing new law should correct this situation. Online gambling will be for the first time explicitly regulated and EU/EEA based operators will be able to obtain a licence to offer online gaming in the Czech Republic. Some guestions, in particular concrete tax rates and form of central monitoring system remain unanswered but in general it can be conclude that the first steps were made in good direction. The Czech Republic could follow the examples of the other Eastern EU states and change the existing law into the form of modern regulation which ensure the sufficient level of control of online operators in terms of protection of players, implementation of responsible gaming measures and reasonable tax duties.

EEG: There are a lot of talks that this new package of law amendments is a confirmation of a long term trend to move to a more regulated online environment? Is this package designed to push the move of gambling businesses from land-based to online?

Jan: I would not say that the aim of Czech regulator is to push the gambling business from land based to online, but online gambling has exploded in popularity in recent years so it is a general trend in gambling business to move more and more activities from land based to online area. As the results, regulators all over the world have to react to this situation and during the past few decades more and more of them tend to legalize and reglate online gambling instead of ban it. The same situation we can se nowadays also in the Czech Republic. This trend cannot be ignored.

On the other hand, when it comes to land-based business, this is in the Czech Republic very hot topic for last few years especially with connection to the right of municipalities to regulate gambling on its territory and Czech republic in the long term tends to reduce the number of gaming machines. This approach is reflected also in the new gambling act, which introduce a number of new restrictive measures to reduce the number of pathological gamblers with respect only to land-based operators.

EEG: The gaming companies though are highlighting a ruling from the European Court of Justice which dealt with Hungary’s moves to push through a clampdown on betting companies and increase taxes on them. This was seen as an infringement on their right to carry out their business and some companies are arguing that the ruling sets a precedent for the Czech Republic as well. How are the local authorities dealing with this?

Jan: I am aware that Czech authorities are familiar with this Hungarian case as well as the Czech operators who analyse it in detail and highlighted the principle, which Court of Justice of the European Union emphasized in this ruling.

It is right that Court confirmed that also gambling operators like every other entrepreneur has the right to carry out their business and in case of any interventions (also in form of taxation), state must fulfill some crucial basis principles. This is the open and very relevant question also in the Czech Republic in connection with withdrawing the valid licence for operating games of chance due to the conflict with generally binding decrees of Czech municipalities and I think that is not precluded that some Czech national course will also submit preliminary question to Court of Justice of the European Union.

If you would like to get the unique opportunity to ask all your important questions and learn first-hand details about the Czech Republic’s developments be sure to attend the Eastern European Gaming Summit at which Jan Rehola shall brief the attendees about the new developments. For 8th consecutive year on 23 – 24 November 2015, Inter Expo Center in Sofia, Bulgaria will bring together under one roof world’s leading figures and companies from the industry to present and outline current market developments and future trends with global vision and focus on the Eastern European market.

Visit the EEGS website here.

Zoltan "Hawkie" Tundik

With an experience of over 8 years in the online gambling industry, as an affiliate, later affiliate manager and consultant, I consider myself a veteran of the industry and can guarantee that you will be served with the most accurate information.

Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 (25-26 March)

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Bulgaria

SOFTSWISS Gets Certification for Its Jackpot Aggregator in Bulgaria

Published

3 weeks ago

October 15, 2024

George Miller

SOFTSWISS, a leading technology provider for iGaming, has further solidified its presence in the European market by securing certification for its Jackpot Aggregator in Bulgaria.

The iGaming market in Bulgaria is experiencing significant growth, attracting new businesses despite stringent domestic regulations. The market is projected to generate 168.70 million euro in revenue by 2028, with an annual growth rate of 5.42%. The number of users is expected to reach 377.3 thousand by the same year, further highlighting the sector’s momentum.

In line with this growth, SOFTSWISS announces that its Jackpot Aggregator has received certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), ensuring it meets all technical requirements for use in the Bulgarian market. With the new certification of the SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, Bulgarian-licensed operators can integrate this advanced engagement tool into their casino offerings.

In May, SOFTSWISS successfully entered the Bulgarian market through a partnership with Topwin.bg, which implemented the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator, and the Sportsbook.

“We are seeing a strong surge in interest in our jackpot mechanic, fueled by the growing demand for engagement tools in the market. That’s why we are committed to further developing the Jackpot Aggregator, enhancing its features, and expanding into new markets. Certification for the Bulgarian market is a clear testament to our ambition and drive for expansion. We are actively working on obtaining certifications in other jurisdictions,” comments Angelina Stasiuk, Head of Business Line at SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator.

SOFTSWISS has several international and national licences and certifications, including a South African licence acquired through the purchase of a majority stake in Turfsport. The company recently announced its plans to become the first certified software provider in Brazil.

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 23,500 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

Bulgaria

Betway Bulgaria officially launches, offers live and bet-builder options

Published

3 years ago

March 22, 2022

George Miller

Another company has officially launched its activities in the growing niche of online betting in Bulgaria. But here we are not just talking about another operator licensed by national institutions, but about a leading brand worldwide. Betway is one of the largest bookmakers in Europe and globally, and the fact that it already offers its services in Bulgaria speaks positively about the development of the gambling business in the country.

Indications of an increase in the size of the industry appeared last year, when several operators received a permit to operate under Bulgarian jurisdiction. It is unlikely that this process will end with the official launch of betway bulgaria, rather the brand entering the country can be perceived by international operators as a positive assessment of the market in Bulgaria. What can we find at Betway besides the obvious – increased competition and of course more choice for consumers?

What do we find in the sports section?

Sports betting – this is the leading sector of the company, which started operations in 2006. The brand is associated with a number of teams in Europe such as Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Leicester, Alaves, Belenenses, Werder, etc. Of course, the top championships in Europe are present in the latest betting platform, but that’s not all. Betway offers the opportunity to make predictions at less popular UEFA championships. The fans of the Bulgarian championship have options too. All matches of the First League are present in the bookmaker’s menu, and are offered with dozens of choices for each of them.

Real-time bets and long-term combinations

Live bets are a big thrill for many players. This option is present at Betway, and this also applies to the mobile version, of course. It is not difficult to detect current events – they come first when loading the platform. And with them the bookmaker really comes up with interesting offers, some of which are rare on the Bulgarian market. The outcome of the bets become clear in literally seconds if the next goal market or one of the performance options is selected.

In addition, the company accepts predictions with a much longer horizon. It is now standard to bet on who will be the champion in England, Spain, Italy or Germany. However, there are also specific markets and selections for certain teams – will Barcelona take the trophy this season, will Liverpool reach the final in at least one of the tournaments in which it participates, etc. And if users don’t find what they’re looking for in these offers, they can always turn to the betting menu. The bet-builder is still limited to one match, from which we can choose two or more selections until the desired odds are formed. This is the most appropriate way to optimize the bet according to personal preferences and therefore it is increasingly preferred by the players.

Betway’s first steps on the Bulgarian market are impressive. And this is just the beginning, we can expect even more in the near future.

Bulgaria

Online gaming revenues surge in Bulgaria

Published

6 years ago

December 5, 2018

George Miller

Online gaming revenues surge in Bulgaria Reading Time: 1 minute

The Bulgarian Trade Association of Manufacturers and Operators in the Gaming Industry’s (BTAMOI) reports that the country’s online gaming revenues showed a growth in the last financial year. The industry paid €57 million in taxes to government, which corresponds to a 17 per cent rise year on year. BTAMOI said in a press release: “For the period 2017/2018 the gaming industry in Bulgaria has shown very good results at national level, based on the country’s upward economic performance.”

The online gambling segment in Bulgaria represents about 10 per cent of the country’s total gambling market. The segment posted a revenue of €89 million in the nine months to September 30, a spike of 30 per cent compared to the figure same time last year.

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network