Romanian Municipalities Seek More Local Control over Gambling

In Romania, a proposed draft bill supported by city mayors seeks to transfer regulatory control over gambling to local authorities, including the introduction of new licensing taxes. This would diminish the National Gambling Office’s (ONJN) role in overseeing the sector.

Municipalities Support Bill to Give Them More Control Over Gambling

Presented by the Ministry of Development, if the bill passes, it would give municipalities the right to license or ban gambling establishments based on local development priorities, urban planning, public order, and public health. Currently, gambling operators are licensed at the national level, while local councils have only an advisory role in the approval process for physical gambling venues within their jurisdictions.

The push for more regional authority over the gambling industry comes at a time when Romania is increasing its oversight of the sector. So far, 2025 has proven to be quite an active time for lawmakers and authorities on that front, as the country has also worked with international companies to impose more control over the industry. For example, in June, Romania asked Meta and Google to block illegal gambling ads and to aid the state’s efforts to curb unauthorized gambling operations.

The initiative for giving more local authority to municipalities is being led by Nelu Popa, the mayor of Reșița. He has called on the government to give more authority to local administrations, citing the ONJN’s inability to effectively enforce regulations. Popa further explained that this failure has resulted in a surge of betting shops and gaming halls where operators seemingly disregard the rules.

This is already a problem that the country has been dealing with when it comes to the online space, as there are many companies targeting the local market and operating without a license. For this reason, the ONJN added 30 gambling websites to its blacklist just last week.

More Taxes Could Come If the Bill Passes

The bill also proposes additional taxation, with local councils aiming to introduce a direct levy to help mitigate the social impact of gambling.

According to the Ministry of Development, the reform would create the conditions for genuine public control over an economic activity with significant social risks, which is supposed to be tailored to each community’s specific context. The ministry also highlighted the importance of securing funding for social assistance, public safety, and local services.

This push for local-level taxation comes alongside recent national changes to the tax structure for online gambling, including differentiated rates based on gambling types and player winnings. The new government is working to reduce a budget deficit estimated at 30 billion lei (approximately $7.1 billion).