Gambling addiction help in Bulgaria

Verified helplines

Helplines and online chat

The national information line for drugs, alcohol and gambling (НИЛНАХ) answers on 0888 991 866, weekdays 9:00–17:00, free and anonymous, in Bulgarian. It is run by the NGO Association for Rehabilitation of Addicts "Solidarnost" (Асоциация за рехабилитация на зависими „Солидарност“), founded in 2006, not by the state. Calls are charged at your normal mobile rate; outside those hours the service answers through its website and social channels.

There is no separate gambling-only line in Bulgaria, and the gambling regulator does not run a support line — it publishes the register described below and an information centre number for administrative questions. Lines in other countries are listed in our helplines directory.

Self-exclusion

Bulgaria's national scheme is the Register of gambling-vulnerable persons (Регистър на хазартно уязвимите лица), kept by the National Revenue Agency under Article 10g of the Gambling Act. Once you are entered, licensed gambling operators must not allow you to take part in their games. The register is not public.

Who can be entered

Anyone who considers that they have a problem with gambling, and also people whose social position or income level makes them more exposed to it. Your own assessment is enough to start the procedure — no diagnosis or referral is required. A legal representative may apply on behalf of the person concerned.

How to apply

You fill in a request addressed to the executive director of the NRA and submit it in one of three ways: on paper at an NRA office, by post, or by email to nap@nra.bg signed with a qualified electronic signature. Entry is free. The same form is used to ask to be removed.

How long it lasts

The request may state a period, which cannot be shorter than 12 months. If you do not state one, 12 months applies. Removal happens either on your own request or automatically when the period expires — so unlike Croatia or Lithuania, Bulgaria has no short three or six-month option.

One piece of history still matters: entry into the register and access to it were suspended for two years, from 12 December 2020 to 12 December 2022, by paragraph 91 of the transitional provisions of the amending Act published in State Gazette 104/2020. Requests submitted during that window were not registered. If you tried to self-exclude in that period and never checked afterwards, assume you are not in the register and file again.

How this compares with schemes elsewhere is set out in our guide to self-exclusion by country.

Blocking gambling payments and sites

The register binds operators licensed in Bulgaria. Sites without a Bulgarian licence are handled separately: the NRA publishes a list of internet pages through which gambling is organised without a licence, and under Articles 244–245 of the Gambling Act access to them is blocked following orders of the Sofia District Court issued at the request of the NRA's executive director. Internet providers that do not comply face sanctions.

Neither measure stops a determined search, so pair the register with a blocker on your own phone and computer — our comparison of gambling blocking apps for iOS and Android explains what each one covers. If debt is the immediate pressure, read what to do about gambling debt first.

Free treatment and counselling

No treatment programme dedicated to gambling is published by the gambling regulator or by the national information line. The NRA's role stops at the register; the line run by Solidarnost is the practical entry point, and its staff refer callers to counselling and rehabilitation services near them.

Support for family and friends

The information line takes calls from relatives as well as from people who gamble, on the same number and with the same anonymity. A legal representative can submit a register application for the person they represent, but a family member cannot enter an adult relative in the register against their will.

If you are trying to work out what to say, or whether what you are seeing is a problem at all, read how to help someone with a gambling addiction and the signs of a gambling problem.

Gambling law and the regulator

Gambling in Bulgaria is regulated under the Gambling Act (Закон за хазарта) by the National Revenue Agency, whose executive director issues licences and decisions. The NRA publishes registers of licensed gambling organisers, of issued and revoked licences, of gaming-equipment operators and of accredited testing laboratories, so a site's licence can be checked before you play.

Online gambling is legal for operators holding a Bulgarian licence for it. The Gambling Act prohibits participation by minors (малолетни и непълнолетни), which sets the practical minimum age at 18.