The Bulgarian State Gambling Commission (BSGC) is adding a new batch of operators to its collection of blacklisted domains. The latest names to make the include some big name brands including William Hill and PokerStars.
Bulgaria’s blacklisted domain count now stands at 48 as the Eastern European country is flexing its newfound regulatory muscle. The latest additions to the list join other top-level sites like Bet365 and Ladbrokes.
Under Bulgarian law, gambling sites must maintain a physical presence in the country for at least five years before being granted a license. The penalty for sites that operate outside these rules is a spot on the rapidly growing blacklist.
Some blacklisted operators like PartyPoker are crying foul and insisting that they’ve never targeted Bulgarians and don’t even offer Bulgarian language content. (Some sources suggest that PartyPoker’s presence on other Euro blacklists was enough to land them on Bulgaria’s list.)
Whether operators think the list is fair or not, they definitely seem ready to play ball with Bulgaria. Gaming officials there say that many of the blacklisted companies have started the application process so that they can get off the list and operate in a Bulgarian-friendly fashion.
Do you think Bulgaria’s overdoing their blacklist or just protecting their financial interests? Share your opinion in the comments section below.