Romania's gambling reforms delayed as new ONJN leadership stabilises regulator
According to Romanian media reports, the appointment of Vlad-Cristian Soare as President of the (ONJN) has coincided with delays in Romanias gambling reforms. The wait comes as the new leadership focuses on restoring internal stability after a period of severe regulatory failures and heightened political scrutiny.
Soare replaces Gheorghe Gabriel Gheorghe, who resigned ahead of the May presidential election, won by independent candidate Nicu?or Dan. Dans victory marked a shift in political tone, pledging an Honest Romania agenda while the gambling sector remains in flux. The Senate has officially delayed debate on two Save Romania Union gambling bills, both centred on tougher oversight and harm prevention. These proposals didnt emerge in isolation. Public pressure and growing concern lit the fire behind them. Support for Romanias gambling reforms is growing, but decisive action is still lacking.
Broken systems and broken trust make reform unavoidable
Romanian media reports suggest that the audit by Romanias Court of Accounts found that ONJN enforcement failures between 2019 and 2023 resulted in nearly 1 billion in Romanian gambling tax losses. These losses were because of outdated IT systems, under-reported RTP rates, and inadequate oversight of licensing and payments. The report also highlighted ONJNs failure to adapt its monitoring processes after the 2019 tax reforms, which introduced a 2 percent monthly tax on online gambling operators based on total participation fees.
The delayed legislation includes:
- A new Romanian gambling self-exclusion system, allowing online opt-outs via the ONJN website, intended to simplify the current in-person process.
- A proposed 10 percent gambling spend cap linked to declared monthly income, placing affordability checks in the hands of operators and financial institutions.
- Operators provide real-time exclusion data reports, and they issue mandatory refunds if exclusions are ignored.
- Enforcement responsibilities are shared between licensed operators, banks, and the National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF).
Without a coordinated framework to support Romanias gambling reforms, these legislative tools risk becoming symbolic rather than structural. The Save Romania Union gambling bill sponsors have also called for temporary regulatory control to shift from ONJN to the Ministry of Finance and ANAF, arguing that ONJN lacks the credibility and technical capacity to oversee meaningful reform.
Uncertainty rises as Romania weighs regulation against reality
Despite growing pressure, the Senates Legal Committee extended the review period by 15 days, citing legal uncertainty around self-exclusion reversals and the implementation of income-based spending limits. The extension was requested formally by four committee members: Senator Siminica Mirea, Senator Radu Mihail, Senator Robert Cazanciuc, and Senator Laura Iuliana Sc?ntei.
Critics have raised concerns about technical and ethical issues in enforcing the 10 percent gambling spend cap, including data sharing between financial institutions and operators, concerns regarding GDPR compliance, and the reliability of income reporting.
ONJN, under Vlad-Cristian Soare, is now prioritising professionalism and institutional reset. Soare has stated, My political colour is decency. What unites us is honest work, professionalism, balance.
Soares appointment aims to modernise gambling regulation nationwide, but his lack of experience in ONJN management adds pressure. Still, ONJNs stated cooperation with ANAF and plans for new task forces signal a more collaborative future. Soare pledged to revamp ONJN’s internal systems, from staff recruitment to the sourcing of technology and services. A recent exclusive SiGMA News interview examined iGaming’s changing recruitment climate.
Romania is stuck for now. Authorities instructed operators to follow current rules while awaiting further instructions. Tax teams, marketers, and player comms staff are scrambling to keep up.
Vulnerable players wait as black market risk grows
USR leaders, civil society groups, and addiction specialists warn that delays are putting vulnerable players at risk and driving growth in Romanias illegal gambling markets. They argue that ONJN must act quickly to fix failings in exclusion, licensing, and digital oversight. Without effective reform, there is a risk that players will migrate to black-market platforms, which offer fewer protections and no regulatory accountability.
Committee Chair Ion Rujan defended the delay, saying, We are dealing with two expressions of will: the act of self-exclusion and its possible retraction. These raise serious legal questions.
Operators are waiting for clarity. Some support enhanced regulation but want more explicit technical guidance and realistic implementation timelines. Others fear that rushed reforms could backfire if enforcement lacks the necessary tools, coordination, and stakeholder buy-in. While political chess continues, Romanias gambling reforms remain a half-whispered promise.
Advocacy groups havent gone quiet. Theyre calling for stronger ad controls, proper age checks, and support systems that actually support. The talk around responsible gambling is no longer just policy chatter. Its growing and is now laced with urgency. Its sharper, its fed-up, and its coming for the white noise and excuses that used to pass for policy.
The longer Romanias gambling reforms wait, the higher the price
The reforms remain frozen. Time keeps moving. With the Senate debate set for 10 June, all eyes are on what happens next. Lawmakers, operators and advocacy groups are all paying close attention. Talking about reform is one thing. But progress is impossible if the ground keeps shifting. Romanias gambling reforms are bogged down, wedged between political flux and weak oversight. What happens next will not just define ONJNs future. It could reset responsibility and reshape regulation nationwide.
There is still time for reform to succeed, but it will require more than legislation. It will demand transparency, technological investment, and trust-building from a regulator that has, for years, fallen short of expectations. For now, the reforms wait. In a market where delays have already cost billions and where credibility is at stake, the Romanian public waits.
As an EU member state, Romanias regulatory delays are also being watched closely by European stakeholders concerned with cross-border compliance and market harmonisation.
