ONJN seeks accountability amid political pressure and audits

Romania’s gambling regulator has declared that 2026 should mark a turning point for accountability in the country’s gambling sector. After years of controversy, audits and political criticism, the National Office for Gambling has presented a reform agenda that it says is designed to restore trust, strengthen oversight and modernise a regulatory framework widely viewed as outdated.

Whether these commitments will convince sceptics remains uncertain. The authority enters 2026 under intense scrutiny, with its credibility weakened by past failures and its institutional future openly debated in Parliament. For the regulator, the coming year represents not only a policy challenge but also a test of survival.

Leadership change amid regulatory fallout

The current reform drive is being led by Vlad-Cristian Soare, who assumed the role of president of the National Office for Gambling in May 2025. His appointment followed the resignation of Gabriel Gheorghe, whose departure came after audits identified serious shortcomings in regulatory oversight.

Those audits revealed that nearly one billion euros in gambling taxes and licence fees had gone uncollected or unaccounted for over several years. The findings raised fundamental questions about how such significant sums could pass through the system without triggering earlier intervention or corrective action.

For critics, the issue went beyond administrative error. It pointed to a regulator that had lost effective control over the market it was tasked with supervising. Parliamentary committees, civil society groups and parts of the media questioned whether the authority had the institutional capacity or independence required to enforce compliance in a rapidly expanding gambling industry.

A year of crisis management rather than reform

Soare has not presented his first year in office as a period of decisive reform. Instead, senior officials within the regulator have described 2025 as a year dominated by crisis management. Much of the organisation’s energy was spent addressing inherited problems, responding to audit findings and stabilising internal processes.

This reactive posture has shaped how the authority frames its recent enforcement activity. According to official statements, inspectors confiscated hundreds of illegal gaming machines, blocked access to more than 200 unlicensed online gambling platforms and referred dozens of cases for criminal investigation linked to unauthorised operators and suspected financial irregularities.

While these actions represent a more assertive stance than in previous years, they have not silenced critics who argue that enforcement efforts remain uneven and heavily influenced by political pressure. Some observers question whether the recent surge in activity reflects a sustainable shift in regulatory culture or a temporary response to heightened scrutiny.

Online enforcement under the spotlight

Online gambling enforcement has been highlighted as a particular area of progress. The regulator claims it has succeeded in removing the majority of illegal gambling content targeting Romanian consumers from major digital platforms.

This assertion has been met with cautious reactions from industry observers. Past experience suggests that unlicensed operators often reappear quickly under new brand identities or through alternative marketing channels. The durability of online enforcement measures will therefore be judged not by short-term removals but by whether the regulator can prevent sustained re-entry into the market.

The regulator has acknowledged that previous approaches relied too heavily on manual processes and fragmented reporting. These weaknesses, it says, allowed non-compliant operators to exploit gaps in oversight while compliant businesses faced inconsistent enforcement.

Technology as a cornerstone of reform

A central element of the 2026 reform agenda is the expanded use of technology. One of the most prominent proposals involves the introduction of a geolocation-based QR system connected to the regulator’s central register.

Under this system, each authorised gambling machine would be linked to a scannable code. Members of the public, local authorities and inspectors would be able to verify the location, ownership and authorisation status of machines in real time. The initiative is intended to reduce ambiguity around licensing and make it more difficult for illegal machines to operate unnoticed.

The proposal represents an implicit admission that past reliance on paper records, manual inspections and discretionary decision-making contributed to regulatory blind spots. By increasing transparency and public accessibility of information, the regulator hopes to deter non-compliance and rebuild confidence in its oversight role.

National self-exclusion framework planned

Another significant reform concerns player protection. The regulator plans to establish a national self-exclusion system covering both land-based and online gambling. Unlike the fragmented arrangements currently in place, the proposed framework would be centrally managed and uniformly enforced.

The new system aims to clarify exclusion periods, prevent immediate reactivation of accounts and distinguish clearly between voluntary account closures and formal self-exclusion. These distinctions are intended to reduce confusion for consumers and limit the ability of operators to interpret exclusion rules inconsistently.

If implemented effectively, the framework could represent a meaningful step toward harmonised player protection. However, its success will depend on robust data integration across operators and sustained regulatory oversight.

Automation and reduced discretionary contact

The reform programme also includes plans for automated monitoring of transactions, bonuses and promotional activity. A fully digital platform for licensing applications and operator communications is intended to reduce direct contact between businesses and regulatory officials.

Such measures are designed to address long-standing concerns about uneven enforcement and potential conflicts of interest. By limiting discretionary interactions, the regulator argues it can create a more predictable and transparent compliance environment.

Industry stakeholders have generally welcomed the principle of automation, while noting that implementation timelines and technical reliability will be critical. Poorly executed digital systems could create new inefficiencies or compliance risks if not properly tested and maintained.

Political pressure and legislative uncertainty

The regulator’s reform agenda unfolds against a backdrop of significant political uncertainty. By the end of 2025, more than 20 legislative proposals related to gambling had been introduced in Parliament. These initiatives reflect growing unease across the political spectrum regarding the social and economic impact of gambling.

Within the governing coalition, positions vary widely. Some parties advocate stricter age limits and enhanced player protections. Others focus on advertising restrictions, sponsorship bans or tighter controls on online platforms. More fundamentally, some lawmakers question whether the National Office for Gambling should continue to exist in its current form.

Critics argue that the authority has lost the confidence of other public institutions and lacks the credibility required to oversee a complex and high-risk sector. Proposals to dismantle or replace the regulator have therefore gained traction in certain political circles.

Call for a comprehensive legal overhaul

In response, Soare has publicly supported a complete rewrite of Romania’s gambling legislation. He has described the existing legal framework as fragmented and outdated, arguing that effective enforcement is impossible without coherent and modernised laws.

According to the regulator, overlapping amendments and inconsistent policy objectives have undermined enforcement efforts and created legal uncertainty for operators. A comprehensive overhaul, Soare contends, would provide clearer mandates, stronger enforcement tools and more consistent standards across the sector.

Whether lawmakers will accept this argument remains to be seen. Legislative reform of this scale would require broad political consensus, which has so far proved elusive.

Increased focus on player protection funding

Perhaps the most notable shift in the regulator’s approach is its commitment to player protection funding. For 2026, the authority has allocated five million euros to support prevention, education and intervention programmes delivered by local authorities and civil society organisations.

This marks the first time the regulator has dedicated structured nationwide funding to harm reduction initiatives. Supporters view the move as a necessary acknowledgment of the social costs associated with gambling expansion. They argue that prevention and treatment should be integral to regulatory policy rather than an afterthought.

Critics, however, interpret the funding as a strategic response to political pressure rather than a genuine transformation. Some question whether the regulator can effectively oversee such programmes given its existing challenges.

Credibility on the line

Soare has acknowledged that the reform process has been imperfect and that rebuilding trust will take time. With public confidence already eroded, the regulator faces the challenge of demonstrating tangible results rather than aspirational plans.

For the National Office for Gambling, 2026 is not simply another year in the regulatory cycle. It is a defining moment that will determine whether the institution can re-establish itself as a credible watchdog or whether it will be fundamentally restructured or replaced.

The outcome will depend on whether promised reforms are implemented effectively, whether enforcement becomes consistent and whether political leaders are persuaded that the regulator can still serve the public interest.

An institution under trial

As Romania enters 2026, its gambling regulator finds itself under a form of institutional trial. The coming months will reveal whether accountability can be restored through reform or whether past failures have irreparably damaged the authority’s standing.

For operators, players and policymakers alike, the stakes are high. The direction taken in 2026 will shape the future of gambling regulation in Romania and determine whether oversight evolves into a modern and credible system or becomes another example of regulatory collapse.

Conclusion

Romania’s gambling regulator enters 2026 at a decisive crossroads. After years marked by regulatory shortcomings, financial discrepancies and eroded public trust, the National Office for Gambling faces the dual challenge of reforming its internal operations while convincing lawmakers and the public that it remains capable of fulfilling its mandate. The reform agenda outlined by the current leadership reflects an awareness of past failures and an attempt to address them through stronger enforcement, greater transparency and increased reliance on technology.

Yet ambition alone will not be sufficient. The credibility of the regulator now depends on measurable outcomes rather than policy declarations. Effective implementation of digital oversight tools, consistent application of sanctions and genuine commitment to player protection will determine whether accountability can be restored in practice. At the same time, ongoing parliamentary debates signal that patience is limited and that structural change remains a real possibility if confidence is not rebuilt.

As the year unfolds, the National Office for Gambling will be judged on its ability to move beyond crisis management and establish a stable and predictable regulatory environment. The decisions taken and actions delivered in 2026 will shape not only the future of the authority itself but also the long-term integrity of Romania’s gambling market.

FAQs

What is the National Office for Gambling in Romania?
It is the state authority responsible for licensing, supervising and enforcing gambling regulations across land-based and online sectors.

Why is Romania’s gambling regulator under scrutiny?
Audits revealed significant regulatory failures and uncollected revenues which raised concerns about oversight effectiveness.

Who is leading the regulator’s reform efforts?
Vlad-Cristian Soare became president in May 2025 following the resignation of the previous leadership.

What enforcement actions were taken in 2025?
The regulator reported seizures of illegal machines, blocking of unlicensed websites and referrals for criminal investigation.

How does the proposed QR system work?
It would allow real-time verification of gambling machines’ location, ownership and authorisation through a central register.

What is the national self-exclusion system?
It is a planned unified framework covering both online and land-based gambling to standardise player exclusion rules.

Why is Parliament debating the regulator’s future?
Lawmakers have raised concerns about credibility, social impact and whether the current regulatory model is effective.

Is gambling legislation in Romania expected to change?
The regulator has called for a full legal overhaul though political consensus has not yet been reached.

How much funding is allocated for player protection?
Five million euros have been earmarked for prevention and harm reduction programmes in 2026.

What will determine the regulator’s future?
Successful implementation of reforms, consistent enforcement and restored political confidence will be key factors.