site.btaApril 5, 1936: State Lottery Drawn for First Time

On April 5, 1936, the first draw of the State Lottery was held at the Military Club in Sofia. The State Lottery was established on December 3, 1935 by decree-act, adopted by the Council of Ministers.

Under the law, 60% of the revenues had to go into prizes. Participation required the purchase of a paper ticket with a unique number; if that number got drawn, the ticket's owner received a monetary prize. One ticket could be divided into halves and quarters.

Within Share 1, a total of 22,480 prizes were drawn worth BGN 12 million. The winning ticket for BGN 2 million was divided between four Sofianites. That year, a resident of Doupnitsa (Northwestern Bulgaria) became the first millionaire from the State Lottery.

During World War II, the State Lottery was temporarily stopped. It was restored in 1958.

In 2011, it became part of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator, set up back in 1957.

In the 2010s, private lottaries were allowed, but nine years they were banned by the National Assembly over suspected corruption, tax evasion, and fraud schemes.

The first-ever lottery in Bulgaria was held in 1898 with the support of Prince Ferdinand and with state guarantees.