BFU Embeds Betting Ban Into Statute After 46-Name Case

On 20 March, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) approved statute changes at its congress in Sofia, embedding a ban on football-related betting into its core rulebook. The move follows a police-linked case involving 46 players, coaches and club staff tied to betting activity on domestic matches.

The rule was already in the disciplinary code. Now it sits in the statute. In the draft shared before the vote, Article 14 bans players, coaches, officials and staff from taking part in betting on football matches. Putting it in the statute changes how it is treated. It is no longer just a disciplinary issue. It becomes part of the basic rules for taking part in Bulgarian football.

BFU president Georgi Ivanov said after the congress that delegates approved the changes. FIFA had input in the process.

The case that led to this decision shows what happened in practice. BFU deputy executive director Dobrin Gyonov said some of the 46 individuals had bet on matches involving their own teams. This goes beyond a normal breach. It raises direct integrity concerns, as access to team information can affect how bets are placed.

Under existing disciplinary rules, such offences carry a six-month suspension and a BGN 5,000 fine. Gyonov said the commission imposed BGN 10,000 penalties in this case and suspended sporting rights until payment, suggesting the standard framework was not seen as sufficient on its own.

TGJ Take

For bookmakers, the vote raises the compliance bar around Bulgarian football rather than changing day-to-day pricing overnight. The bigger effect sits in monitoring and escalation, especially in lower divisions where insider information and own-team betting carry more risk. Any operator still offering these matches should review alert thresholds, integrity escalation routes and who can access sensitive team information before next season.