Even though the iGaming market in Bulgaria is still quite a lively one, it’s getting more and more difficult for affiliates to launch new websites there.
In late March this year, the Bulgarian parliament made the final decision to pull the plug out on all unlicensed iGaming sites.
What this means is that iGaming in Bulgaria is still legal as long as we’re dealing with a licensed site. And they are quite serious about it. Every unlicensed site gets banned from the reach of the country’s gaming population.
Putting the legal issues aside, let’s take a look at some of the demographics of the most popular online casinos in Bulgaria.
A typical player is a young male – 25-44 years old, with annual income of below 18,000 EUR (around $23,000).
When it comes to the most popular games, people in Bulgaria enjoy playing all casino games, poker, sportsbook, and bingo.
Big Players in Bulgaria
There’s a big number of sites accepting players from Bulgaria, and they all offer affiliate programs you can join.
Golden Riviera Casino
Affiliate program available at: http://www.starpartner.com/
Cherry Red Casino
Affiliate program available at: http://www.c-planet.com/
Go Wild Casino
Affiliate program available at: https://www.gowildaffiliates.com/Main/AppPages/PreLogin.aspx
Bet 265 Bulgaria
Affiliate program available at: http://www.bet365affiliates.com/ui/pages/affiliates/affiliates.aspx?lng=1
Vegas Slot Casino
Affiliate program available at: http://www.rewardsaffiliates.com/
Grand Duke Casino
Affiliate program available at: http://www.intpar.com/
32 Red Online Casino
Affiliate program available at: https://affiliates.32red.com/
All Jackpots Casino
Affiliate program available at: http://www.alljackpotscasino.com/affiliate_program.html
Also worth mentioning are some poker, sportsbook, and bingo sites that are popular in Bulgaria. These are: Poker Stars, Carbon Poker, Betway, Bovada, Bodog, Bingo Hall.
How to Join the Market
There’s one very common problem with most foreign markets – the language, which can become a serious barrier. Bulgarian is not only difficult, but it also uses a completely different set of characters. Therefore, if you decide to do business in Bulgarian iGaming, you’ll have to hire a translator to create your content, or find a good native speaker.
Launching a site on a Bulgarian domain can be tricky. You can get a .bg domain, but you might fell victim to strict Bulgarian laws later on. When you get a standard .com domain, you don’t have to worry about Bulgarian government shutting you down.
Same geos for hosting. Try to find an European-based host, but getting a server directly in Bulgaria might not be the best idea.
In the end, the iGaming market in Bulgaria seems interesting. The government introduces new laws for online gambling quite often, but at the same time they don’t want to miss out on the potential tax money. That’s probably why online gambling is still legal to some extent (for licensed casinos).
What’s your opinion on Bulgarian iGaming? Are you promoting your offers to Bulgarian audiences and have some insights you’d like to share?