Insight BULGARIA BEGE 2018
The Balkans BEGE show marks its 10 year anniversary in style
The 10th BEGE Expo in Sofia, was attended by Ognemir Mitev Chairman of the State Commission, Bulgaria, who appraised visitors of the latest market statistics for the gaming sector. Mr. Mitev concluded that the The gaming industry in Bulgaria continues to successfully develop and stabilise its financial performance.
Te Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo (BEGE) has come a long way in 10 years and is now a show that attracts most the world’s leading slot manufacturers as well as operators from across the Balkans and beyond. Te event now covers three halls at the Inter Expo Center in Bulgaria’s capital city of Sofia and encompasses the Eastern European Gaming Summit.
“Globally, the gaming industry has traditionally been linked to tourism, which has been highlighted many times by business as it is a serious incentive to improve the conditions for recreational tourism in Bulgaria. Its inclusion in the Action Plan is a good start for creating a sustainable trend, which aims to promote Bulgaria at the state level as an attractive destination for gaming tourism.” Angel Iribozov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Gaming Association
Many new initiatives have been added to this year’s show including a Startup zone, Innovation zone, Sales Pitch corner, and a Gaming Startup Challenge contest.
Bulgaria is considered the technology hub of the Balkans and high tech solution providers are on hand to display their wares, concepts, and technologies. A full array of service sector providers and equipment suppliers for the land-based gaming industry were on hand as well. Almost 70 exhibitors from 20 different countries filled this year’s show floor. JCM Europe, Zitro, Gamebridge Casino Equipment, and Road Games International all attended for the first time joining legacy participants such as Novomatic, Merkur Gaming, IGT, Alfastreet, Innovative Technology, and many more.
In his welcoming address, Angel Iribozov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Gaming Association, said: “Globally, the gaming industry has traditionally been linked to tourism, which has been highlighted many times by business as it is a serious incentive to improve the conditions for recreational tourism in Bulgaria. Its inclusion in the Action Plan is a good start for creating a sustainable trend, which aims to promote Bulgaria at the state level as an attractive destination for gaming tourism.”
Te latest market statistics were presented by Ognemir Mitev Chairman of the State Commission on Gambling at the Eastern European Gaming Summit. He said: “Over the past year, the trend of market sustainability was maintained, with growth in gambling revenue being reported. Te gaming industry in Bulgaria continues to successfully develop and stabilise its financial performance. Te State Commission on Gambling has focused its efforts on reducing the administrative burden. Te new services in the system of the agency ameliorate the licensed
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organizers in terms of the volume of documentation and the time required for processing it. In connection with the Governmental Strategy for Electronic Governance of the Republic of Bulgaria, the State Commission on Gambling provides various electronic services that can be stated at the official website of the Commission.”
Te statistics paint a stable picture of gradual growth in Bulgaria. In 2017 there was a slight increase in the number of licensed gaming locations in Bulgaria, which as of 30 September 2017 reached 837 gaming halls and 27 casinos. Te number of gaming halls grew from 768 in 2017, but the number of fully fledged casinos fell by one. Te amount of gaming equipment installed has grown steadily and again by 30 September 2017, the number is about 10 per cent more than the statistics provided by the State Commission on Gambling by the end of September 2016. Te total number of slot machines increased from 25,121 in 2016 to 26,877 in 2017 with gaming tables falling from 292 last year to 271 this year. GGR has increased from BGN 84,683,317.81 for the first nine months of 2016 to BGN 95,556,584 for the first nine months of 2017.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism, in 2017 there was a large increase in the numbers of foreign tourists visiting Bulgaria and the development of the gaming sector is seen as being a contributing factor to these results, especially at the southern border of Bulgaria. Te number of tourists from the neighbouring countries in the south, namely Greece and Turkey, has increased by 9.6 per cent and 13.2 per cent, respectively, due to the increasing number of visitors at gambling sites in the cities along the border.
Te town of Svilengrad on the Bulgarian-Turkish border has established itself over the last year as one of the centers for the entertainment industry in the
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