Romania’s government has issued an emergency decree requiring gambling operators to secure municipal authorisation before opening betting shops or slot machine halls, transferring significant licensing power to local authorities for the first time.
Under the revised framework, licensed operators must obtain both a national permit and approval from the relevant mayor or municipal council before establishing a gambling venue. Officials estimate that more than 200 localities could pursue full prohibitions under the new rules. At least nine cities have already indicated plans to seek citywide bans.
How the Decree Changes the Licensing Process
Until the decree, gambling venues received authorisation exclusively at the national level. Local communities had no formal mechanism to restrict betting shops or slot machine halls, including those located near schools or residential areas.
The emergency decree ends that arrangement. Mayors and municipal councils can now approve or reject venue applications within their jurisdictions. They can also set conditions on where gambling operations may be located.
Diana Stoica, an MP for the Save Romania Union party who led the legislative campaign, described the change as straightforward in its intent.
“From now on, local authorities can clearly say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If they say yes, they can decide exactly where these venues can operate and under what conditions.”
Stoica framed the legislation as a response to constituent complaints, telling The Guardian that gambling addiction carries the highest suicide rate of any addiction, and that the Romanian state had allowed the industry to expand unchecked for two decades.
“People write to us constantly; entire families are affected by addiction. We turned those messages into legislation.”
Cities Moving to Restrict or Eliminate Venues
Slatina, in southern Romania, is among the cities preparing to act. Mayor Mario De Mezzo said the city plans to remove gambling halls once existing licences expire.
“The simplest solution was to eliminate these businesses entirely from the city. They are toxic for society.”
In Bucharest, Mayor Ciprian Cucu said he will consult the city council before deciding on restrictions for the capital. One option under discussion involves confining gambling venues to specific districts, including the Old Town, though no decision has been made.
Industry Scale and the Fiscal Argument
Romania’s gambling sector is a substantial revenue contributor. The industry generated close to €1bn in state tax revenue in 2025, though official audits have identified amounts that were not collected.
That fiscal contribution has historically been the primary counterargument to restrictions, with operators pointing to employment and tax receipts as grounds against limiting their presence. The emergency decree represents a structural shift in that balance, placing community consent above national-level approvals.
Romania has seen a rapid growth in gambling locations in recent years, with tens of thousands of slot machines and betting outlets now operating across the country, particularly in Bucharest. The national regulator has also moved on unlicensed operators, blocking 30 websites operating without a licence in a previous enforcement round.
Additional Restrictions Under Parliamentary Review
The emergency decree is part of a broader legislative push. Romania’s parliament is reviewing further measures, including a ban on individuals under 21 entering gambling halls, restrictions on online gambling advertisements between 6 a.m. and midnight, a cap on losses at 10% of declared income, and a prohibition on advertising aimed at children.
Romania’s media regulator previously barred celebrities and influencers from appearing in gambling advertisements, a measure that preceded the current round of reforms.
The developments place Romania alongside a number of European markets tightening the compliance burden on operators through a combination of national and local regulatory pressure. The question of how existing licence holders respond to municipal bans as their permits come up for renewal will be the practical test of the decree’s scope.
Romania’s parliament has not set a timeline for the additional measures currently under review.
Source: The Guardian
