Asked by a bTV reporter if he is in Sofia,

Asked by a bTV reporter if he is in Sofia, the owner of the largest lottery business in Bulgaria, Vassil Bozhkov said, he ‘likely’ is not but is not hiding from anyone. He said he does not know why the police are raiding his offices and that if " anyone is looking for me I could be [in Bulgaria] in a matter of several hours. "

At the same time, over at the State Gambling Commission’s office, another raid was taking place. The head of the commission, Alexander Georgiev, and seven other employees were arrested and taken in for questioning in civil cars. All but one – who said he had done nothing wrong - refused to comment.

According to Mediapool sources some of the detained employees are accountants and financial clerks who processed declarations by gambling companies.

Both operations were organized by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office. The exact reason for the raids is unclear but it is apparent Bozhkov has become a target of authorities over the past month.

In mid-January the head of the State Financial Inspection Agency, Georgy Nachev announced that the private lottery companies pay less fees than the state-operated lotto games. This was a clear sign that the government’s attitude towards Bozhkov’s businesses might be shifting.