The Romanian Federation of Gambling Operators (Fedbet) has announced the launch of the platform, costulinterdictiilor.ro, to inform the public and authorities about the impact of the ban on gambling venues.
In February, the Government passed an ordinance transferring the authority to approve land-based gambling hall licenses to local authorities.
At a national level, more than 40 local authorities and towns have already proposed measures to stop issuing licences.
Meanwhile, Bucharest’s Sector 6 approved a proposal to ban gambling halls, with the final decision resting with the Bucharest General Council.
The Fedbet's platform compiles data from the National Gambling Office's official records and presents an interactive map showing the estimated local impact of gambling restrictions across Romania’s municipalities.
The association says the tool is intended to support evidence-based policymaking and improve understanding of the sector’s broader economic footprint.
Preliminary figures published on the platform suggest that a full restriction on traditional gambling could have significant economic effects, including an estimated annual economic impact of €1.33bn, around 30,000 job losses and more than €700m in annual losses to the state budget.
The federation also warns of potential knock-on effects on funding for Olympic, Paralympic and private sports, as well as cultural programs supported through national funds.
Fedbet President Alexandru Domșa stated: "We launched this platform so that information is centralised and accessible to anyone, so that the public and decision-makers can better understand the real impact of bans. In the absence of data-driven policies, unintended effects can arise, such as the shift of consumption to the black market and the erosion of the state's capacity to control and regulate this area effectively. "
The platform will be continuously updated with data on local council decisions regarding gambling operations, alongside further analysis of their impact.
In addition to determining whether gambling halls are allowed, each local council can set an annual local tax
