Romania licensing delays put thousands of slot machines at risk by 2027

Romania’s licensed land-based gambling market faces uncertainty as operators approach the end of 2026. The Federation of Romanian Gambling Organisers (FEDBET) warns that delays in local decisions could reduce the number of authorised slot machines. It estimates that only 9,096 may remain authorised on 1 January 2027 if municipalities do not complete the required steps. Romania’s licensing delays may leave 9,096 authorised slot machines by January 2027 as FEDBET seeks temporary rules for licensed operators.

How the new framework changes local authorisation

The dispute centres on Emergency Government Ordinance (GEO) No. 7/2026, adopted on 24 February and published the following day. It amended Romania’s gambling legislation and gave local councils authority to decide whether gambling may take place in their areas.

Where gambling is permitted, operators must obtain an annual local operating authorisation. Councils can identify permitted zones and set a yearly fee based on venue floor area. These requirements apply alongside the national licensing framework overseen by the National Office for Gambling (ONJN).

The ordinance gave local councils 60 days to adopt the relevant rules. FEDBET says fewer than 4 per cent of Romania’s approximately 3,100 administrative-territorial units had adopted the necessary decisions by the April deadline. It also says industry requests for clarification have received limited responses.

FEDBET says local administrations cannot issue permits without council decisions, while the ONJN cannot renew operating authorisations when local approval is missing. The federation argues that operators meeting national requirements could lose permission to operate because of an administrative step outside their control.

Authorised slot machine numbers face a sharp decline

FEDBET says 43,306 slot machines held valid authorisations in March 2026. By 1 November, the number had fallen to 15,579. Without further local decisions and permits, the federation projects that only 9,096 will remain authorised on 1 January 2027.

That would be a further reduction of approximately 42 per cent in two months and around 79 per cent compared with March. FEDBET has warned that close to 80 per cent of authorised slot machines and gambling venues could leave the regulated market by the end of 2026.

These are FEDBET projections, not confirmed future closures. The outcome will depend on local council decisions and the expiry dates of existing authorisations.

Local restrictions are adding to the uncertainty

Several municipalities have used the new powers to restrict gambling. Timișoara’s 25 August resolution permits traditional lottery activity but prohibits other forms of gambling. In Iași County, reports said all 98 local administrative units had voted to prohibit slot-machine venues, with implementation varying between localities.

Bucharest’s Sector 6 council separately requested that the city’s General Council prohibit gambling in physical venues across the sector. This was a request, not a ban already in force. A 2024 national restriction also limits slot-machine venues to localities with more than 15,000 residents.

Super Technologies has said it plans to repurpose some affected venues as community spaces under its Home of Superliga concept.

Employment, public revenue and player safeguards

FEDBET estimates that approximately 8,500 jobs have been affected, although this is not a verified count of completed redundancies. The Ministry of Finance’s 2026 budget-amendment project included a projected RON 750 million reduction in gambling-specific tax revenue. FEDBET says this mainly reflects earlier receipts and excludes later licence expiries and wider losses involving employment taxes and social contributions.

FEDBET’s 9 November statement estimated broader potential losses at approximately €320 million. This is the federation’s projection, separate from the RON 750 million tax-revenue shortfall.

FEDBET also warns that a smaller licensed retail market could redirect some demand to unlicensed gambling services. It argues that authorised venues are subject to national supervision and legal duties concerning access, identity checks and player protection. This remains a risk identified by the federation, not an established outcome.

“Closing an authorised location does not mean that people stop playing. A large part of them end up on unlicensed sites, where no one checks age, there are no deposit limits or protective measures and the state does not collect anything,” said FEDBET president Alexandru Domșa.

“The first thing that is lost in a lockdown is the protection of players. In other words, the game does not disappear, control, on the other hand, does.”

FEDBET calls for transitional provisions

FEDBET is asking the Government and Parliament to introduce temporary provisions allowing operators that meet existing legal requirements to continue operating until local councils complete the necessary decisions. It says this would address the administrative gap without removing the powers granted to municipalities.

Any transitional arrangement would need to be set out in legislation and aligned with national licensing rules, local authority powers and player-protection obligations. It should clarify how existing authorisations are treated while local procedures are completed.

Conclusion

Romania’s licensing dispute highlights the challenge of introducing local decision-making into a sector that also relies on national permits and coordinated oversight. Municipalities have a greater role in deciding whether gambling venues can operate, but the administrative process must remain clear for businesses and public authorities.

FEDBET’s figures point to a substantial potential reduction in authorised slot machines by early 2027. The estimates are not final and may change as councils adopt decisions, but they underline the need to resolve uncertainty before existing authorisations expire.

Policymakers must respect local authority while applying the framework consistently. Clear guidance, workable deadlines and a legally sound transition could limit disruption to employment, public revenue and oversight. The market’s future will depend on both municipal decisions and effective coordination between national and local authorities.

FAQs

What is causing Romania’s licensing delays?
The delays are linked to the implementation of Emergency Government Ordinance No. 7/2026. Local councils must adopt the necessary decisions before local operating authorisations can be issued.

What did Emergency Government Ordinance No. 7/2026 change?
The legislation gave local councils the authority to decide whether gambling activities can operate within their territories. Councils can also determine permitted locations and establish annual local authorisation fees.

How many slot machines were authorised in Romania in November 2026?
According to FEDBET, 15,579 slot machines held valid authorisations on 1 November 2026.

How many slot machines could remain authorised by January 2027?
FEDBET projects that the number could fall to 9,096 by 1 January 2027 if additional local permits and council decisions are not secured.

Has Romania introduced a nationwide gambling venue ban?
No. The new legislation gives individual local councils authority to determine whether gambling venues can operate in their territories. Local decisions therefore differ across the country.

What restrictions has Timișoara introduced?
Timișoara adopted a resolution permitting traditional lottery activities while prohibiting other forms of gambling within the municipality.

What has happened in Iași County?
Reports from July 2026 indicated that all 98 local administrative units in Iași County had voted to prohibit slot-machine venues. The implementation arrangements vary between municipalities.

How many jobs have been affected by the licensing situation?
FEDBET estimates that approximately 8,500 jobs have been affected. This figure represents the federation’s assessment and should not be treated as a confirmed number of redundancies.

Could the licensing delays affect player protection?
FEDBET warns that reduced availability of authorised venues could encourage some consumers to use unlicensed gambling services. The federation argues that such a shift could reduce access to established regulatory safeguards.

What solution is FEDBET requesting?
FEDBET is asking the Government and Parliament to introduce temporary legal provisions allowing operators that satisfy existing requirements to continue operating until local councils complete their authorisation decisions.