Is Horse Racing Allowed In Bulgaria?

Photo by Tomasz Filipek: Pexels

First off, horse racing in Bulgaria isn't just a whisper in the wind; it's as real as the thrill of a photo finish. With online betting reaching its zenith, horse racing betting sites are flourishing, offering aficionados a digital grandstand from which to place their bets​​.

But let’s get one thing clear from the start. The sport in Bulgaria isn’t really popular as much as other countries like the United States. However, it is fair to say that they do share some horse racing culture and history, and some of the horse racing events survived for a long time.

From the traditional trackside bet to the modern click of a button, Bulgaria's bettors are never more than a few taps away from backing their favorite steed.

The Legal Canter

Wondering about the legal landscape? It's green pastures here. Bulgaria has embraced the trifecta of gambling: legal, regulated, and accessible online.

This means residents can legally bet on horse racing, among other sports, as long as they’re of legal age (that's 18, for those counting). Since 2013, the country has welcomed major operators with open arms, offering a variety of licensed online betting options​​.

This is a big part of the sport, just because in countries where horse racing betting is restricted or limited, the sport doesn’t do really well in terms of popularity. Fortunately, that’s not the case in Bulgaria.

There are a lot of horse racing betting websites similar to TwinSpires that offer some local options for wagering.

Horse Racing Traditions in Bulgaria

But it's not all about online betting. Bulgaria trots out a deep-seated equestrian tradition, particularly vivid during Todorovden, also known as Horse Easter.

Celebrated on the first Saturday of Lent, this holiday features horse races across the country, where the manes and tails of horses are woven and decorated, embodying the rich tapestry of Bulgarian culture.

As the tradition says, males must weave and adorn their horses' manes and tails with tassels, beads, and flowers.

Women are responsible for kneading, distributing, and feeding ceremonial bread to horses. They also boil wheat, which is then blessed at church.

On the day, there are also exciting horse races. In the past, the winner was given a towel or shirt, while the horse received a new bridle. Nowadays, awards are more commonly just money.

The Horse Racing Scene in Bulgaria Now

Legally, horse racing is allowed in Bulgaria. But that doesn’t mean that is popular. One of the biggest events that include horses is Todorovden, but as we mentioned before, this event is more about decorating horses rather than racing them.

Bulgaria has its own Horse Racing Club.

The Horse Racing Club is named after the most well-known and respected Thracian god, the Thracian Horseman (also known as Heros in Greek reliefs and inscriptions). The Heros Horse Racing Club owns the largest horseback riding facility on the Balkan Peninsula. It is about 6 kilometers north of Plovdiv, near the settlement of Voyvodinovo.

The Heroes Club was created in 1982. The horse-riding base's three stables each include 200 horse boxes and one pull-box, providing ideal conditions for rearing and training horses of different kinds and ages.

All horseback riding enthusiasts can benefit from instruction provided by trained specialists at the club. The adjacent hippodrome holds high-level horse racing, as well as different tournaments and competitions.

However, even with the existence of the horse racing club in Bulgaria, the actual horse racing scene is dreadful. There are no proper horse racing venues, nor there are any horse racing events that get more than 50 spectators.

So, at the moment, even though both horse racing and horse racing betting are allowed in Bulgaria, they still have a long road ahead of them in order to reach a level where the sport will start to attract visitors.

But they also have the Bulgarian Equestrian Federation formed in 1914. But the races that take place here are usually for training kids.

Regulations

The regulatory reins are held tightly. The State Commission for Gambling (SCG) ensures a fair race, overseeing everything from licensing to the legality of betting platforms.

This ensures that whether you're betting on a sure thing or a long shot, the game's integrity remains unbridled. Since the introduction of the Gambling Act in 2012, Bulgaria has established a comprehensive framework to regulate online gambling, ensuring that your bets are as safe as houses​​.

Final Words

So, Bulgaria isn’t the first place that comes to mind when we talk about horse racing. However, if you manage to find yourself here, you are safe to place a bet on a horse. As for going to an actual horse racing event, this is going to be a little more difficult since there aren’t many big horse races organized in the country.

We also don’t see a lot of thrills and excitement about the sport, which doesn’t shine a great light on its future. Hopefully, they will come up with an actual horse racing event soon that will excite local equestrian fans.

 

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