Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev has allowed amendments to the country’s Gambling Law to become law. The changes include a ban on gambling ads in various media. Radev had earlier indicated he might veto the amendments, Yogonet reported May 15.
The amendments, approved by a large majority of the National Assembly, were scheduled to go into effect May 17, according to the Sofia news agency Novinite.
According to the state news site Fakti, the amendments prohibit TV, radio, newspaper and websites from carrying gambling ads. An exception is made to the Bulgaria sports totalizer, which raises money for the government.
The amendments are not sitting well with media outlets, who depend on gambling ads, gaming operators, and sports clubs. Some criticized the government for not hearing input from the public before adopting the law.
The amendments were introduced by the two parties GERB and DPS without any previous announcements during the final days of the legislative session. The bill flew through the Assembly until its rapid adoption in the plenary session.
