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Amusnet has announced that it has received two major awards – Online Provider of the Year and Best Debut in the Land-Based Sector – at the Golden Spades Awards 2025.

These recognitions highlight Amusnet’s strong performance in its core online vertical, as well as the positive reception of its first steps in the land-based market. The Golden Spades Awards are an industry event that highlights notable achievements and contributions across the gaming sector in Bulgaria and beyond.

Irina Rusimova, CCO of Amusnet, said: “These two awards are truly meaningful for us. Online Provider of the Year acknowledges our long-term commitment to building a strong online portfolio, delivering quality, and maintaining trusted partnerships in a highly competitive segment. The Best Debut in the Land-Based Sector award is equally inspiring, as this is a new strategic direction for us and shows that we are moving in the right direction. Both distinctions reflect the unity of our teams and the dedication behind everything we create.”

Receiving these two important awards reinforces the company’s ongoing commitment to excellence across all verticals.

The post Amusnet Celebrates Double Victory at the Golden Spades Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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The ruling parliamentary majority in Bulgaria, represented by Kostadin Angelov (GERB), Dragomir Stoynev (BSP), and Yordan Tsonev (DPS-New Beginning), has submitted a proposal to amend the Gambling Act within the transitional and final provisions of the State Budget Law. The submission, sent on November 24 to both the Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Chairman of the National Assembly, aims to grant a long-term concession for the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator (BST), with the State Budget Law set for a second reading on Thursday, November 28.

The lawmakers argue that despite BST’s monopoly position, its revenues are lower than those of private gambling operators prior to the 2020 legal changes. They cite market analysis showing that the state lottery is not a leading operator in the gambling sector, and suggest that privatisation via concession is necessary to make it competitive. The concession would be overseen by the Minister of Youth and Sports, who would handle both granting and monitoring the contract.

Under the proposed framework, the concession could only be awarded to a Bulgarian-registered legal entity or to a foreign entity with an officially registered business in Bulgaria. A call for expressions of interest is required to be published by March 31, 2026, allowing operators to submit investment proposals. The concession would last at least 15 years, giving the private operator full rights to BST’s betting points, systems, equipment, valuable samples and intellectual property.

Financially, the concessionaire would transfer 10% of its corporate tax payments to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, to fund physical education, sports facilities, and related activities, with 10% of this sum earmarked for the National Culture Fund. Additionally, 30% of the concession fee would be allocated to sports clubs and federations. After the concession, BST would no longer organise gambling games, and any existing tickets, slips or coupons would be invalidated and destroyed.

The proposal has drawn controversy, particularly because the lottery was nationalized and granted monopoly status only a few years ago, following the revocation of licenses for Vasil Bozhkov’s private gambling companies. Proponents argue that the lottery lacks sufficient financial resources and operational know-how to compete with private online operators, pointing to its underperformance against budgeted revenues. In 2023, BST aimed for BGN 190 million (€96.9 million) but achieved BGN 170.034 million (€86.8 million), while the 2024 goal of BGN 188.701 million (€96.3 million) was not reached either, with actual revenues at BGN 182.640 million (€93.2 million).

Critics, including Ivaylo Mirchev of “Yes, Bulgaria” (party of WCC-DB) accuse the concession of being politically motivated, suggesting that it benefits DPS-New Beginning and the network surrounding Delyan Peevski. Mirchev noted that Peevski’s mother, Irena Krasteva, previously served as director of BST from 2002 to 2005, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and favoritism. Proposals for a parliamentary commission to investigate potential misconduct were reportedly blocked by affiliated MPs from GERB.

The move represents a significant restructuring of Bulgaria’s lottery system, transferring a state-controlled monopoly into private hands for a period of at least 15 years, with substantial financial and political implications.

The post State Lottery in Bulgaria Set for Privatisation appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EGT received well-deserved recognition at the Golden Spade’s Awards 2025 ceremony. At the event, held on November 25, the company took the Slot Machine of the Year prize, and its CEO, Vladimir Dokov, was honored with a Certificate for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of the Gaming Industry.

EGT has been distinguished for the excellent performance of its latest series of slot cabinets Supreme, including 4 models – S 32-32 UP, S 32-32 ST, S 55 S ST, and S 55 V ST. For only several months this year, they had numerous installations and have established themselves as players’ favorites in a number of markets around the world, thanks to the perfect combination of eye-catching design, unmatched comfort, and their compatibility with some of the most popular games from the company’s portfolio.

Mr. Dokov was granted the Certificate for Outstanding Contribution to the Development of the Gaming Industry in recognition of his exceptional impact on the sector in Europe and beyond and his role in positioning Bulgaria among the top gaming solutions providers on a global level.

When accepting the awards, he said: “I am honored to be here tonight among so many industry leaders and to receive these two accolades. They are irrefutable proof that even the most ambitious plans can be accomplished when you work with a team of talented and motivated professionals for whom innovation and technological progress are not just high values, but achievable goals. This success belongs to them.”

The Golden Spade’s Awards ceremony was part of the prestigious Gaming Industry Gala Dinner 2025, organized by the Association of Organizers of Gambling Games and Activities in Bulgaria (AOGGAB) with the support of EUROMAT. This year’s edition of the event, which was the third in a row, gathered leading companies and figures from Bulgaria and abroad under the motto “Together in Europe“ and gave them the opportunity to focus on topics like European integration, professional collaboration, and the shared vision for a sustainable future of the industry.

The post EGT with two accolades from Golden Spade’s Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.