Инфлуенсърите като комуникационни посредници: етични граници и отговорности при рекламиране на хазарт
Influencers as Communication Intermediaries: Ethical Boundaries and Responsibilities in Gambling Advertising in the Bulgarian Digital Environment

Author(s): Viktoria Mladenova
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Media studies, Communication studies
Published by: Факултет по журналистика и масова комуникация, Софийски университет „Св. Кл. Охридски”
Keywords: influencers; gambling advertising; digital communication; ethical norms; social media; brand ambassadors; content creators; online advertising; Bulgaria; responsible communication
Summary/Abstract: The rapid growth of digital media and social networks has transformed inÀuencers into key communication intermediaries capable of shaping the attitudes and consumer behavior of large audiences. This paper examines the role of influencers in the promotion of gambling products and services within the Bulgarian digital environment, with a particular focus on the ethical dimensions of such activity. Drawing on a review of applicable ethical norms in digital communication — including platform community guidelines and broader principles of moral responsibility — the paper analyzes the presence of gambling advertising in Bulgarian social media and identities the main mechanisms through which it operates: direct brand ambassador partnerships, sponsored reality-format content, and indirect product placement. Three concrete case studies are discussed: celebrity ambassadors for major Bulgarian gambling operators (Efbet, Win-Bet, Betano, and others), the television reality show SESAME Игри на волята sponsored by the gambling company Sesame, and the YouTube reality format Къщата на инфлуенсърите sponsored by WinBet. The analysis demonstrates that even indirect associations between inÀuencers and gambling brands carry signi¿cant ethical risks — above all, the normalization of gambling among broad and potentially vulnerable audiences. The paper further notes that the 2024 amendments to Bulgaria’s Gambling Act, which banned gambling advertising in traditional media, left social media largely unregulated, e൵ectively redirecting gambling promotion budgets toward inÀuencer marketing. The authors conclude that greater ethical self-regulation on the part of content creators is essential for building a more responsible digital environment.

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