The Association of Organisers and Producers of Gambling in Romania (AOPJNR) has issued a warning over an operational blockage in the country’s gambling industry, caused by the flawed implementation of Emergency Ordinance 7/2026. The association says the situation is already generating significant losses for the state budget and threatens thousands of jobs.
Under the ordinance, licensed operators of slot machines are required, in addition to their national licence, to obtain an operating authorisation from the city hall of the locality where they operate. In practice, this gives local councils the final say on whether such operations can take place in their communities, effectively controlling market access at the local level.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the association highlighted that the lack of clear transitional measures has stalled the authorisation process for slot machines. The issue arises because local authorities have 60 days to draft regulations necessary for issuing operating licences, but there is currently no legal mechanism to continue authorisations during this period.
The AOPJNR letter further noted: ‘’These authorisations are essential to prevent the number of machines per location or per company, as required by law, from falling below the minimum, which would inevitably result in the revocation of licences for slot machine operators through no fault of their own.’’
Budget losses to date have already been significant. In February, 2,251 machines were blocked, resulting in RON 6.67m ($1.5m) in lost authorisation fees. In March, approximately 9,000 machines were affected, representing a budgetary loss of RON 26.68m.
The association warned that if the situation is not resolved, around 11,400 employees could be laid off, approximately 20 slot machine operators could close, and 22,000 slot machines could be blocked. This would create a monthly budget shortfall of over RON 65m, funds that could otherwise support key Government projects.
Between February and June 2025, 24,895 slot machines were authorised, all of which will require reauthorisation after 12 months.
The association is urging the Government and the Ministry of Finance to interpret the ordinance to allow transitional authorisations to resume immediately. They argue that during the transition period, the ONJN operating licence should not be contingent upon a local authorisation.
Federation of Gambling Organisers of Romania (FEDBET) has warned that local bans on gambling venues could push a significant portion of the market into the black market
