site.btaParliament Raises Tobacco Excise Duties

Higher tobacco excise duties were approved by Parliament at second reading of the 2026 State Budget Bill on Friday.

Excise duty on smoking tobacco, including pipe and cigarette tobacco, will be set at EUR 130 per kilogram from August 1, 2026, EUR 138 per kilogram from March 1, 2027, and EUR 146 per kilogram from January 1, 2028.

Amendments to the Gambling Act stipulate that gambling may be promoted through affiliate operators, companies or platforms that run affiliate programmes, by Bulgarian or foreign legal entities and individuals, including sole traders.

If the affiliate operator is a foreign individual or legal entity, its licence application under the Act must identify an authorised representative with an address in Bulgaria and powers broad enough to sign contracts on the foreign person’s behalf and represent them before Bulgarian state authorities and courts.

Gambling promotion through affiliate operators without a valid licence under the Act is prohibited, as is promotion on behalf of gambling organisers that do not hold such a licence.

Parliament rejected a Continue the Change (CC) proposal to ban gambling advertising on vehicles, in radio and television programmes, electronic publications and other media.