The National Office for Gambling (ONJN) in Romania has announced a comprehensive regulatory reform plan for 2026 aimed at reclaiming control over a gambling industry long plagued by poor supervision, systemic corruption, and tax evasion. This announcement follows a revealing audit covering the period from 2019 to 2023, which exposed massive management irregularities and a fiscal deficit of RON 3.6 billion (approximately $1 billion USD) due to undeclared and unpaid authorization fees to the state treasury.
The plan arrives amidst a severe institutional legitimacy crisis for the ONJN, compounded by ongoing parliamentary debates since late 2025 in Romania's legislature, where more than 20 legislative proposals question the future of gambling regulation. These discussions coincide with the first cycle of renewal of 10-year B2B licenses in 2026, marking a critical juncture for sector oversight. The audit by the Court of Accounts (CCR) highlighted that remote online gambling had operated without effective monitoring, supervision, or control by the regulator, exposing major vulnerabilities in the system.
In response, the ONJN has implemented aggressive enforcement actions over the last year, including confiscating hundreds of illegal gaming machines, blocking access to over 200 unauthorized gambling websites, and referring multiple cases for criminal investigation linked to illicit operators and financial misconduct. Moreover, the regulator claims to have removed nearly all illegal gambling content targeted at Romanian players from major digital platforms, though some skepticism remains about this achievement.
The reforms proposed by the ONJN include a unified national self-exclusion system covering both terrestrial and online gambling, automated monitoring of transactions and bonuses, and the launch of a fully digital platform for licensing and operator communications to reduce manual processes and improve transparency. These measures are supported by a 2026 budget allocation of €5 million to local authorities and civil society groups for prevention, education, and intervention programs. Meanwhile, the Save Romania Union (USR) advocates for additional reforms such as a 10% monthly income cap on gambling expenditure and simplified self-exclusion mechanisms, receiving backing from several government ministers.
Looking ahead, the main uncertainties involve the outcomes of parliamentary debates on the regulator's status, the viability of the proposed technological reforms, the potential initiation of criminal proceedings against ONJN officials, and the approval of spending limits on gambling. Key milestones include decisions expected in the second and third quarters of 2026, the renewal of B2B licenses under new regulatory pressures, and the prospective implementation of an automated supervision system by 2027. The sector remains at a crossroads between structural reform and regulatory crisis under intense public and political scrutiny.
