Project ‘Improving the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices, Area 6: Games of chance’

In February 2025, the National Statistical Institute launched the project ‘Improving the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices, Area 6: New Methodologies for HICP – Gambling’ under Grant Agreement with the European Commission No. 101199547-2024-BG-PRS.

The project includes the following activities:

• Research on available sources of information - study and analysis of data sources for prices and weights in compliance with the methodological and legislative quality requirements (timeliness, coverage, etc.);
• Conducting a pilot price survey - selection and stratification, product definition, treatment of quality differences, definition of elementary aggregate groups, etc.;
• Construction and production of a pilot sub-index of games of chance, in accordance with the harmonized methodology for inclusion in HICP.

The expected outcome of the project activities is the development and implementation of a new methodology for compiling of HICP and the application of practical solutions for data collection in the field of games of chance. Key issues related to data collection and processing will be examined, and a plan for their solving will be prepared.

The final result will be a sub-index, fully prepared for inclusion in HICP with the data for January 2026, in accordance with Article 2 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/3159, amending Regulation (EU) 2016/792 of the European Parliament and of the Council on harmonised indices of consumer prices and the house price index as regards the classification of consumption and the inclusion of games of chance.

The project will last 14 months and will be completed in March 2026.