Romania: ONJN plans self-exclusion and complaints system upgrades

Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has announced changes to its player self-exclusion procedures and plans for a new digital system to handle complaints and requests. The regulator also plans to update its Advisory Council membership.

Strengthening of self-exclusion process

An order issued by the ONJN president sets out how the regulator’s local offices should receive and process self-exclusion requests, as well as requests to withdraw consent for using personal data for self-exclusion purposes.

The regulator said the self-exclusion mechanism must work seamlessly from the moment a player requests it until it takes effect.

Upgrades to regulator's requests portal

The ONJN is also preparing a new digital system to handle formal complaints and requests submitted to the regulator by players, gambling operators and other parties.

The regulator said a review of its work found hundreds of requests that remained unresolved for several months after submission.

Under the planned system, requests will be submitted online and tracked throughout the process. They will be assigned to the relevant department and followed through until a response is issued.

The Regulator said the system will also allow its management to see how many requests are being received, what they concern, whether deadlines are being met and where delays may be occurring.

For players submitting requests, the aim is to provide a clearer process and a more predictable response time. For the ONJN, the system is intended to reduce repetitive administrative work and provide a centralised record of requests.

Advisory Council membership to be updated

The ONJN also announced plans to update its Advisory Council membership, which provides expertise and information on issues affecting the gambling sector. It is inviting interested people to apply for membership

The council includes gambling-sector specialists, representatives of relevant associations, academics and other individuals with expertise that could contribute to the ONJN’s work.