The Romanian Government is reportedly drafting a new Emergency Ordinance which seeks to implement new requirements for licensed gambling operators in the nation at local level.
Indeed, this newly drafted law requires all land-based gaming operators of any kind to obtain local authorisation in the region within which they operate before they can receive formal approval from Romania’s Federal regulator ONJN. The government of Romania has seemingly also submitted this latest draft law as an Emergency Ordinance, instead of following standard parliamentary procedure, in order to reduce the waiting time to implementation.
As such, local authorities will yield the right to reject or accept proposals for local gaming operations based on factors including public protection, community interest and urban planning – among others. Further details of the new structure include the establishment of a local tax to obtain this new local approval, to be calculated by considering the amount of land upon which the gaming activity will take place.
It has been outlined by local reports that this latest implementation seeks to control the expansion of gambling activity in more rural parts of Romania – with a particular focus on protecting socially vulnerable communities in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
This latest development also follows additional regulatory updates in the nation, as the Romanian Senate also adopted a legislative proposal to raise the legal gambling age in the nation from 18 to 21 years this week. Entry to gambling establishments would, under this new law, also be prohibited to under-21s, as it would appear Romania is now motioning to prioritise player protection in its established gaming market.
Romania is one of Europe’s most mature markets, with lottery legalised in 1906, its first land-based casino opening in 1991 and online casino legalisation coming in 2010
