site.btaRevisions to Gambling Act Expected to Raise Transfers to Sports Ministry, State Licence Tax by Nearly Lv 60 Mln in 2020

Vidin, on the Danube, February 8 (BTA) - According to estimates
of the  State-owned Bulgarian Sports Totalizator (BST), the
entry into force of the amendments to the Gambling Act no later
than mid-2020 will lead to an increase of the transfers to the
Youth and Sports Ministry and the State licence tax by nearly 60
 million leva this year, by 78 million leva in 2021, and by 101
million leva in 2022, Vladimir Toshev MP of GERB commented for
BTA. In his words, that means more money for sports federations,
 sports clubs, sports for the disabled and pupils, and
reconstruction and modernization of Bulgaria's sports
infrastructure.

On February 7, Parliament conclusively amended the Gambling Act
practically banning privately operated lotteries in the country
and making this business a State monopoly. The revisions do not
provide for a transitional period. Under the amendments, a
licence to organize lotteries may be issued solely to the State,
 and the BST alone will be able to administrate lotteries with
the exception of raffles, Bingo, Keno and their varieties.

Thanks to the direct transfers to the Youth and Sports Ministry
and the State licence tax, last year the BST aided Bulgarian
sport by just over 46 million leva, Toshev said. The Ministry
paid slightly over 61.4 million leva under its programmes for
the development of sport for significant achievements, sport for
 all, and sport for pupils. The Sports Ministry's entire budget
is around 80 million leva, he specified.

Toshev also said that the BST currently employs 1,300 persons
and maintains a network of over 860 points of sale, compared to
1,500 employees and 1,040 points of sale back in 2013, which is
the result of measures for reducing expenditures introduced due
to five private companies being given access to the gambling
market.

In 2015-2019, the BST paid 116,320 million leva to the executive
 budget, while privately operated lotteries paid in 385 million
leva, Toshev went on to say.

In his words, data of the State Commission on Gambling (SCG)
show that in 2019, the revenues from gambling activity
administered by the SCG amounted to 173,637,412 leva, including
the revenues from taxes amounting to 170,721,644 leva. 

Toshev noted that in line with the long-standing direction of
the EU's policy on gambling, many Member States have limited the
 opportunity for more than two privately operated lotteries to
work within their territories. In most cases, the State owns the
 rights or has a decisive influence within the gambling
operators, he added.
 
NV/DS