Romania has recorded a RON 750m shortfall in gambling tax revenue following administrative delays in implementing new rules that give local authorities greater control over the licensing of gambling venues.
Local licensing powers leave operators facing uncertainty
Ordinance 7/2026, which came into effect in February 2026, empowered local authorities to either prohibit gambling activities or regulate them at a local level. Municipalities were given 60 days to establish the necessary regulatory frameworks, but many failed to meet the deadline. The lack of local frameworks created significant uncertainty for operators, particularly as their existing licences approach expiry.
Slot machine numbers plunge
Global Gaming Insider spoke to Alexandru Domșa, President of the Federation of Gambling Operators in Romania (Fedbet), about the impact of the legislation. Domșa explained that recent analysis by economic think tank Frames highlights the scale of the disruption, showing that the number of authorised gaming machines fell by 45% between March and September 2026, from nearly 35,500 to 19,700.
As of mid-September, Fedbet data showed that only 92 of approximately 3,200 local administrative units had adopted regulations governing gambling under Ordinance 7/2026. Of these, 57 opted to prohibit gambling activities, while 35 chose to regulate them. This was despite the 60-day deadline for local authorities to establish their respective frameworks having expired several months earlier.
The latest restrictions have compounded the effects of an earlier legislative change introduced in 2024, which prohibited slot-machine venues in municipalities with fewer than 15,000 inhabitants. Taken together, the two measures have had a significant impact on the Romanian slot market. Compared with 2023, the number of authorised gaming machines has now fallen by more than 70%.
Thousands of jobs affected
The sector's contraction has also affected the labour market. According to employer data, the number of employees in the land-based gambling sector fell from between 26,441 and 28,049 at the beginning of this year to 19,636 by 1 July.
The National Office for Gambling (ONJN) said it had proposed transitional measures to address the administrative blockage, which were subsequently adopted by the Ministry of Finance. However, their implementation required legislative intervention at the central government level.
Romania’s gambling and recreational activities sector recorded a 20.1% year-on-year decline in turnover in July 2026, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS)
